


More Important Things

by xDemon_Talex



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternia, Alternian Revolution, Ancestor Shenanigans, Blood and Gore, Canon-Typical Violence, Drama/Romance, Dream Bubbles, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Rape/Non-con Elements, Rebellion, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-03-01 10:21:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 46
Words: 307,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13292811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xDemon_Talex/pseuds/xDemon_Talex
Summary: A typical tale of rebellion told in a typical way, with absolutely no twists and a to-be-expected ending.Nope.Nothing to see here.





	1. Time Marches On

**Author's Note:**

> Well here we go again! I'm not really sure how I'm going to do this one in terms of posting...it'll be every Saturday for at least a while, but then I'm maybe considering upping the posting rate to twice a week. This story moves a bit slow at times, after all, and I've been warned that my beginnings can be a bit tedious! Let's hope I negated that this time, eh?
> 
> Also, mind the tags before you jump in. I've gone ahead and tagged everything planned for this story ahead of time, though it'll take a while for some of it to kick in, so just be careful! Don't come in expecting a lighter story like I did with (Not So) Grim.
> 
> I guess that's it, so enjoy! Chapter one is Time Marches on by Rachel Currea.

"We did it! We beat the game!"

Karkat wasn't really sure who said it. It could have been anyone, really—Aradia, hovering with wide eyes above the victory platform, Tavros, leaning into Gamzee's side with his head turned just slightly to avoid goring him with his horns, Nepeta, bouncing up and down on light toes as Equius tried to calm her down and Feferi batted excitedly at her shoulder, Vriska, from her perch at Terezi's side— _anyone._ But it wasn't important who said it, because it was true. Finally, after what felt like sweeps of fighting, they'd  _won_. They'd actually kicked the game's ass, and now here they were about to claim their new universe.

"Fuck," Karkat breathed, watching the victory platform pulse with light energy as the door to the new universe unlocked. There was a bright, glowing handle sticking out from the glossy surface, and  _that was it._ That was what would take them to the new universe and finally get them off of this clusterfuck of a world. "Fuck me sideways with a culling fork, I never thought we'd see this for real." All the usual fire in his voice was replaced with awe. They'd  _done it._

There was a light punch at his shoulder. "Language, Karkles! You have such a potty mouth!"

He shook Terezi off with a huff. Any other day he would have snapped, but this was  _not_ a normal day. Night.  _Whatever_. Did the strange limbo around the victory platform even  _have_ day-night cycles?

"Leave him alone, TZ. He'th had a long day."

"Yeah right! What did he do in that final battle other than scrape his puny little sickles all over the boss's hide?"

"And what did  _you_ do that was tho great?"

Terezi flipped her hair over her shoulder with a toothy grin.  _"Obviously_ I was the star of the show! Nobody here could have beat the boss without me!"

"Yeah right, VK wath more of a hero than you ever were!"

Vriska cackled. "Ladies, please! While you're right about my unquestionable badassery, you should really give at least some of the credit to our  _glorious_  leader. His brilliant strategy saw us through to the end, after all!"

Karkat glared daggers. They all knew that he hadn't done a damn thing in terms of strategy, and his strength in battle had been negligible.

"Fuck off, VK."

His thoughts exactly.

Terezi rolled her eyes, already squawking something back at Vriska, but Karkat wasn't paying attention anymore. The door was glowing at him. There were more important things to worry about.

Namely, getting to the new universe.

"Beautiful, ithn't it?" Sollux murmured, and Karkat realized that the psionic was standing at his shoulder, bicolored eyes locked onto the pulsing door, his voice barely reaching over the din of Terezi and Vriska bickering over something undoubtedly mundane. "We actually did it."

Karkat forced himself to nod. "Yeah…yeah, fuck, we did. This is  _it."_

He thought he saw Sollux grin out of the corner of his eye. A fist bopped harmlessly into his shoulder. "We couldn't have done it without you, KK."

"Careful, or I might actually start to think that you fucking like me."

"Ehehe…come on, KK, don't joke."

"Go drool over Feferi, you ass."

"Only if I get to beat you up later."

Karkat sneered. "You're more than welcome to try, fuckass, but don't think I won't beat you into the fucking ground!"

Sollux flew back, psionics suspending him above the victory platform so that he was well out of reach of any potential slashes via crab-themed sickle. "Plenty of time for that in the new univerthe," he teased. "Tho go open the door and let'th get going!"

The rest of the victory platform had fallen silent. Everyone was watching.

"W-what," Karkat stammered out, "you're really asking  _me_  to open the door?"

"No," Vriska snarked, "we're asking your identical twin hatchmate."

Terezi shoved her. "You declared yourself leader, didn't you? So  _naturally_ it should be you to open the door."

Karkat eyed them uncertainly. "Seriously? You're actually being serious right now?"

There were nods all around. "Terezi is right," Kanaya said, "you're our leader. Despite the rather violent way you chose to preside over our session, you  _did_ preside over it—and I think I speak for everyone when I say that you should be the one to show us the fruits of our labor."

Karkat looked from face to face. Searched for resistance. But there was none, not even from the most violent among them, and it was with a strained, worry-heavy heart that he stepped forward. The victory platform passed cool and solid beneath his feet as he approached the door. It was there.  _So close._

"Go on, fearless leader," came a quiet murmur as Karkat approached. A pair of purple eyes watched him with burning intensity, fins twitching in a poorly disguised display of excitement. "Lead on."

"Go eat your cape," Karkat grumbled. "It's full of holes anyway, what else are you going to do with it?"

"What?" Eridan yelped, breaking his cool to whirl around as if he could see his back for himself. The process of snagging his claws into his cape to drag it along for inspection only left it with a few more holes in addition to the ones that had been placed there during the battle, and Eridan lamented this fact with a whiny groan. "Aww, Kar, why didn't you tell me that my cape was damaged? I look like a fuckin' tool with all these holes in it!"

"Like  _that's_ any different from normal," he teased, but there was a hint of amusement behind the harsh words. "Come on, get out of the way fishface."

Eridan saluted with a smirk as he stepped to the side.

_Idiot,_ Karkat thought, but his heart warmed as he stepped right up next to the door. It was right there. One twist of the hand and it would all be over.

For just a moment, he paused. His head turned just slightly to the side, and even from his peripheral vision alone he could see how all of the sorry trolls he called friends were watching with anticipation. They were all standing there, the morons, just watching him with varying looks of anticipation and eagerness.  _God,_ they were hopeless. He hated each and every single one of them, and he never wanted any of them to suffer the way they all had in their previous universe.  _Heh…maybe I'm losing my edge. Look at me, going soft._

He reached forward and settled just his fingertips on the doorknob. It jolted with electricity beneath the pads of his fingers, as warm and alive as any of them. He took a deep breath. Exhaled, slowly. Repeated the process.

Fingertips brushed his elbow, then his shoulder, then his hip. Three hands, each belonging to a different troll, all watching him with gentle encouragement. A bipolar freakshow, a homicidal seadweller, and a killer clown.

_You can do this._

And he could. He sealed his palm firmly around the doorknob. Twisted, and a ripple of energy pulsed through each of them. Pushed, and the door opened up with a flash of brilliant purple light. It was perfect. It was beautiful. It was everything they'd ever dreamed of, stealing precious hours buried beneath piles of clothes to construct a fantastical future that no one had ever really thought would arrive.

It was all of those things.

But most importantly, it was the last time Karkat Vantas would ever be happy.

* * *

 

Karkat tore through the streets of Alternia at breakneck speed, sickles stashed away in his sylladex in favor of running for his life as two drones chased him with mechanical alarms blaring. Turning to fight wasn't an option anymore, he knew. He was more equipped to take on a drone now than he'd been right when he'd gotten out of the game, but that didn't mean he was ready to take on  _two_ of them, not when they were furious and chasing him through the empty streets with their culling forks held high.He scrambled to one side as one of the two drones almost managed to hook him with a claw, its culling fork following not a heartbeat behind to crash into the pavement.  _Fuck! Too close!_

Karkat heard one of their plasma cannons charging up. He smelled the plasma in the air (so close to the way Ahab's Crosshairs had made the air crackle right before firing, no, please, don't think about Eridan right now it hurtsachesburns) and knew what was about to happen a heartbeat before it did. Unfortunately, the warning provided by the smell wasn't quite enough to stop the beam from clipping his right shoulder and searing through a good centimeter of flesh before flying off to blast into one of the hives in the surrounding area. That poor young troll wasn't going to be happy when he realized that he'd have to do repair work.

_Is that really important right now?_

He forced his legs to keep moving, his arms to keep pumping despite the stench of burning flesh and the searing pain. It was barely a wound, only a kiss of plasma to flesh, and he knew that to let it overtake him would be to die at the hands of the drones. He had to keep running until he reached safety. A little help would go a long way, though, if his useless asshole of a quadrantmate would just _—_

As if on cue, his earpiece buzzed.

"About time, fuckass!" Karkat burst out before the troll on the other end had the chance to even open his mouth. "I'm drowning in drones over here!"

_"Calm down, KK, I can only see two on the cameras. You're fine."_

The smooth tenor of Sollux's voice assaulted his ears, boring into his brain and reminding him again that he was a fucking  _idiot_  for going along with this plan. It didn't matter that Sollux's voice had grown attractively smooth over the sweeps, or that his lisp had steadily died away until it was barely detectable at all, or that he'd filled out in a beautiful, wiry way that made Karkat want him to beat his skull into a wall every time he saw him, and it  _certainly_  didn't matter that he was  _so goddamn brilliant_ with computers that he was able to hijack the entirety of Alternia's net of security cameras, or that he was amazingly—

_Gah! Focus, Vantas!_

_"Eyes forward, KK!"_ Sollux snapped in his ear, reinforcing his self-admonishment.  _"You can handle this, but only if you don't turn into a complete moron and run right into the drones' open claws!"_

As if in agreement, one of the drones let out a mechanical whirr and attempted to skewer him through the chest. Luckily Karkat was just a little lighter on his toes than the hulking beast.

Karkat nearly jumped out of his skin as his earpiece sparked with Sollux's familiar growling harmonics.  _"Lead them down the next alleyway, KK, just like we planned—the trap is set!"_

"Fuck your trap!" Karkat snapped, but he was already tearing for the alleyway between two stretches of hives. "Never should have let you drag me into this, Captor! If I die, it's your fucking fault!"

_"I'll be sure to erect a shrine in your honor. Now get moving!"_

Karkat bared his teeth furiously. There was no time for arguing now because the drones were  _right the fuck there,_ about half a step from culling him in his tracks, and pausing for even a fraction of a second could end in his death. He sprinted for the alleyway, hoping that none of the young owners of the hives around him were watching, and led the drones straight into the cramped space.

_Well, fuck,_ he thought, looking up in alarm at the way the alleyway dead-ended into a wall. There was no way in hell he could climb it, and the two drones were large enough to take up the entire space behind him and cut off all hope of escape. "This had better work!"

_"Trust me."_

Karkat bristled as the drones came closer. One of them was saying something in a mechanical voice, a prerecorded message about being loyal to the Empire and peacefully submitting to death under the order of Her Imperious Condescension.  _God, I wish Feferi had taken down that bitch when she had the chance. We all should have fought harder. We all should have made sure she won instead of being banished back to the ocean._

The drones whirred at him, culling forks raised, claws bared, mechanical teeth gnashing, basically brandishing every part of their anatomy that could possibly do him harm.

_"Steady,"_ Sollux growled.  _"They need to come a little closer."_

Karkat flattened himself against the back wall of the alleyway. The stone there was sticky and his shirt clung to it, and he winced at the sensation. One of the drones was powering up its plasma cannon as it neared.

_"Steady,"_ the psionic repeated.  _"Steady, KK, you can do this."_

Empty comfort from the troll that wasn't staring down the barrel of a weapon capable of vaporizing him in a heartbeat. The air was beginning to burn.

_"Just a little more—"_

"Captor, that thing's going to shoot me if you give it any more time!" Karkat bit out, panic disguised beneath the guise of anger. He'd been terrified of the drones since he was young, knowing that his mutant blood meant that one day he would be found and culled by the things, and so every sunrise of his childhood he'd cowered in his hive wondering if today was  _one day,_ or if it would be tomorrow, or the day after that. The fear had faded with time, especially after experiencing the horrors of the game, but being cornered by them was bringing all of his old fears bubbling to the surface.

The plasma cannon started to glow. The air sizzled.

"Captor!"

The line was silent. The cannon buzzed.

_"Captor!"_

The soft, building whirr of machinery came to a head. Karkat held his breath.

_"KK, now!"_

Sollux's voice sounded, the cannons fired, and Karkat was hit with a wave of heat as the beams of plasma seared into the wall an inch from his head. There was the sound of metal grinding on metal, of sparks flying, of the heavy bodies of the drones shrieking to the ground and lying there as the pitchy whine of their recorded voices stuttered into silence.

_"Good,"_ Sollux said, though he sounded slightly strained from the stress of it all.  _"AA, move in!"_

There was a flash of rust red from the hivetops around the alleyway. The lithe figure of a female troll landed beside Karkat a moment later, and then she was saying, "Karkat."

"Aradia," he greeted, words trailing off in a hiss as his arm reminded him that  _yes,_ that drone had managed to burn him.

"Oh dear," Aradia sighed. "Sollux, Karkat is hurt."

_"Never mind his petty injuries, just get those drones out of there!"_

Aradia shook her head with a sigh. "Very well. That is the point of this operation, I suppose." She raised a hand, and a flick of her wrist wreathed the bodies of the drones in her electric red power and lifted them into the air. "Please open the hatch."

Sollux typed something so viciously that Karkat could hear the keys clacking through the earpiece. Then the pavement beneath his feet was shifting, opening up into a gaping maw of darkness and offering its mysteries to the world beyond. Aradia wasted no time in lowering the drones down, and Sollux wasted no time in closing the pavement right back up behind them. It was a secret hatch he'd designed a long while back, for reasons Karkat was too tired to revisit. Ever since Sgrub had somehow managed to spit them back out onto their old world instead of a new one, Feferi had lost the battle against the Condesce, and the twelve players had scattered to the winds,  _most_  of his wretched memories were too exhausting to revisit.

_"Good,"_ Sollux said.  _"I'd say this was a success; we've got two new drones to work on. AA, help get KK back here so we can patch him up."_

Aradia dipped her head. "Yes, we should make haste in leaving this place. We have no idea who may have seen what happened here." She offered her arm to Karkat. "Shall we?"

He pushed her away with a huff. "Thanks, but I can take care of myself."

Her eyes followed him warily. "Will you never trust anyone again?"

"I've been stabbed in the back enough times already." His voice was cold, hard, and he didn't think he'd ever be able to change it. Not anymore. "Get out of here."

Aradia was still watching him; he could feel it. But still she nodded, and then she was slipping away without a sound. She would be somewhere nearby, he was sure of it—she'd never go against her moirail's request to make sure he got back safely.

Karkat slid into the shadows along the surrounding hives. He wouldn't be able to handle any more drones spotting him tonight, not while he was hurt. The slice he'd made in his chest to attract the drones' attention was still pulsing lightly with pain, the burn on his shoulder ached, and he felt a bitter sense of exhaustion overtaking him. He hated participating in Sollux's little excursions, hated being a part of the petty 'rebellion' at all, but he knew that Sollux would get himself killed without him. It was better that Karkat be the one to put himself in danger, seeing as his mutant blood made him a liability to begin with. He would gladly die in the psionic's place.

Things…well…things had gone to hell after that last fateful moment spent on the victory platform inside the game. Karkat could still remember all too clearly the sense of anticipation, the excitement at the concept of being allowed to create a new universe all their own. There would be no more hemospectrum, no more discrimination, no more caste-based slavery, no more  _pain._ That was something they'd all wanted, even the most casteist among them. They'd wanted to be free.

That wasn't what happened.

A glitch in the system, Sollux had called it. A surge of power sent from a world over, the result of someone fucking up  _so colossally_ in their own session that the residual fuck-up energy had run right over to the trolls' session and destroyed their future. It had been a momentary hiccup, a burp of power just large enough to throw things off the moment Karkat's hand made contact with the doorknob that would open the door to their new universe. Something had just… _reset._ Thrown them right back into their old world, revived it from the dead and forced everything right back to the way it had been pre-Sgrub.

For just a while after that, everyone had hoped that they could still make things right. They could wrest control of Alternia with Feferi as the new leader, and then they could shape everything to their liking. But then Feferi had lost and been banished to the ocean, then the Condesce had swooped down from on high and put an end to any aspirations of greatness, killing no one but crushing all their hopes underfoot, and after that the twelve friends had only managed to cling together for a sweep before they were torn apart. It was over. They all knew that.

Once some of the twelve began going through their adult molts, they went their separate ways. They hadn't gathered since.

Feferi had been the first, not that she was around much to begin with. The Condesce had let her escape only with the understanding that if she ever showed her face again she would be slaughtered. Eridan had gone next. Karkat didn't want to think about that, though. Too much pain there, and too much regret. After that had been Gamzee. He hadn't been shipped off world, though, as was common for indigobloods (they were so volatile that the Alternian military flat out refused to use them in combat until they had a moirail on hand to control them whenever it looked like they might wipe out the members of their own squadron. Of course, Gamzee had a moirail, but he'd been forced to keep that particular bit of information secret unless he wanted to be carted off to join the military. As long as Gamzee kept quiet and Karkat didn't make a peep, everything would be fine). Next had gone Equius, who had been assigned to stay on world and work with the mechanics, followed closely by Nepeta as per his request. He was the one that had designed the latest model of drone. Vriska ended up in the fleet after her adult molt, the captain of her own ship and highly decorated as a veteran of war. Terezi went off to be a legislacerator. Kanaya ended up in the brooding caverns. Tavros joined the on-world military with Aradia.

Then Sollux had gone into adult molt, and things had gotten a hell of a lot more complicated.

It was no secret that psionics became living batteries, hollowed out and strapped into ships. Vriska herself probably would have jumped at the opportunity to have one of her old friends strung up as her puppet. Karkat, though, was not okay with that. Neither was Sollux, fortunately, nor Aradia—and something not being okay with Karkat meant that it wasn't okay with Gamzee either, which meant that they'd had just enough force to keep Sollux from being shipped off. The psionic had gone into hiding, covered by his quadrants and his quadrants' quadrants, and he hadn't been found out in the almost four sweeps he'd been hiding.

After that, the inevitable happened: Karkat followed.

He still remembered the awful day he'd gone into his adult molt. He'd been at his hive minding his own business when he'd been assaulted by a brutal wave of heat, a surge of nausea, and the dizzying realization that his life was over. Once he molted his eyes would turn bright, mutant red, and then everyone would know what he was. He'd been fully prepared to die, too—what did he have left to live for? But when he'd gotten on trollian to say his goodbyes, Sollux had been less than pleased, and Gamzee had threatened to go over to his hive and die with him when the career assignment drones showed up to send him off to join the fleet, and he hadn't had much of a choice when Sollux and Gamzee both came together and dragged him off to Sollux's hidden hive to spent his adult molt there. He'd passed a brutal seven days there, fever-weak and bone-weary, Gamzee staying with him to make sure that he never felt alone or threatened. Sollux had been there too, of course, seeing as it was his hive, and had done nothing but glower worriedly at Karkat from the corner. Soon enough it had been over.

He'd been changed. His eyes were scarlet, body more muscular and a good half-foot taller (though he still barely came up to Gamzee's shoulder), and his horns jutted an inch taller on his head. There would be no hiding his mutation, not with those eyes. Karkat had actually tried to conceal them at first, knowing that Gamzee and Sollux were still clueless as to his genetic deformity—but that hadn't lasted long, and soon both of his closest friends knew that he was a mutant. They were the second to know after Terezi, who had figured it out during the game, and they'd quickly sworn themselves to secrecy. Eridan had been the first.

It had quickly been decided that Karkat would go into hiding with Sollux. A pair of rust-red contact lenses was given to him by Sollux, just enough to hide from anyone he might encounter on the streets.

Around that time had also been when his kismesissitude with Sollux had started, their adult forms driving them together. They hadn't parted since. His moirallegiance with Gamzee had also experienced a boost, though the two of them were strained in that they had to keep their relationship a complete secret from anybody that could possibly turn them in. The instant the Empire caught wind that Gamzee had a moirail, both him and that unfortunate moirail would be plucked up and sent off to join the fleet. And once they figured out that that moirail was a mutant…well, Karkat wasn't sure what would happen. Gamzee would probably be culled along with him.

He couldn't allow that.

He had to cling to his quadrants, cling to whatever he had left. Had to make sure that nothing bad ever happened to any of them. But Sollux was a stubborn idiot, driven to raging fury over the subjugation of his matesprit and the fact that the awful, fucked up world they lived on required that they go into hiding at all.

"We earned that new universe," Sollux had snarled more than once before, grasping Karkat by the collar and shaking him with wide, frantic eyes, claws leaving light scores in the other's flesh. "We fucking  _earned_ it, KK! We earned the right to shape this world to our liking, but here we fucking are with not a scrap of power to speak of! Shit, the person who led us to victory and brought Alternia back to life is in hiding because of his blood color! This isn't how we should be living!"

The warning signs had all been there. Sollux resented the Empire. He wanted revenge. He was just smart enough to get away with anything. And when all of those factors came together, there was only one logical result.

Rebellion.

It had started small. Karkat would go see Sollux only to find him with a spattering of random bruises covering his body, a spray of mustard-yellow speckling his face. He would walk in and find the psionic crouched over his husktop with a nasty gleam in his eyes. He would call him up on trollian and receive no response. In retrospect, it should have been obvious that Sollux was off doing something he shouldn't have been. But Karkat had been foolish, or he hadn't wanted to believe that his kismesis was being an idiot, because he'd just sat around until the day Sollux came crashing back to his hidden hive with his intestines half hanging out of his stomach. That had been a bad day, but it had opened Karkat's eyes to the fact that his kismesis was a fucking  _moron,_ and letting him continue to carry out his little rebellion was going to get him culled.

Karkat had attempted to put an end to Sollux's excursions then and there. Unfortunately, though, it turned out that the psionic wasn't the only one involved. Aradia was helping him, and there were signs that a few outsiders Karkat had never met were also in on the scheme. He'd fought with Sollux viciously over the matter, begging him to drop his personal rebellion, but the closest he'd gotten was the agreement that if Karkat started taking his place in his missions then he would agree to stay in his hive and oversee from his computer. Karkat had agreed.

That was how he'd ended up in  _this_ miserable situation, trekking back to Sollux's hive with his arm burned and his chest oozing blood. He hated Sollux's attempts at rebellion. He hated fighting back. After everything that had happened in the sweeps since the game had spit them back out, he'd decided that it was easier to just sit back and let the Empire do what they would. But if it was a decision between letting Sollux self destruct or throwing himself before the drones, he thought he'd gladly choose the second option every time. That was what he'd done, too. He adamantly refused to let Sollux blow his own personal revolt out of proportion—and in doing so, he'd ended up taking his place on the streets of Alternia, chasing down drones and getting them safely locked away for inspection. Sollux could have his rebellion through Karkat, and he would be safe. That was all that mattered.

As long as Sollux never tried to take things further, to involve more people, to draw attention to himself, then it would be fine. As far as Karkat knew, it was just Sollux, Aradia, and a few other trolls involved anyway. Nothing should ever get out of hand.

The sound of the ground hollowing out beneath his feet brought him back to the present, where he found himself standing right above the hive Sollux had hidden beneath the ground. There was another hidden hatch here, much like the one that had swallowed the drones, and Karkat banged his foot impatiently against it.

_"Password?"_ a mechanical voice requested.

He sneered. "Open this door right now, you blithering imbecile!"

There was a pause. Then,  _"Access granted. Enter."_

Karkat rolled his eyes as the ground opened up before him. Sollux was always so theatric.

He vanished into the maw of the not-so-unknown, the hatch closing up behind him and blending seamlessly into the ground above. Karkat was left in the main room of the structure that served both as Sollux's hive and as a workshop of sorts. There was a hive here, yes, fully equipped with all the normal things you'd expect to find in a casual hive on the surface, but there was also an expanse of sprawling workshops packed to the brim with state of the art technology if you went down a level. Sollux worked on the captured drones and monitored missions there. He should be there now.

"KK!"

…Or he was  _here_ , just stepping out of the stairwell and looking him over with an expression that could have been construed as concerned.

Sollux moved forward. His eyes were hard as flint. "Did anyone see you come in?"

"Yes," he snapped, "I'm a complete fuckass that let someone see me come down here. Of  _course_ no one fucking saw me!"

Sollux growled, the sound rumbling low in his chest. "You're  _something,_ all right, letting the drone blast you in the arm!"

Karkat's arm throbbed in agreement. "Just give me the burn gel, idiot, then I'll go back to my hive."

There was a short huff of breath. Then Sollux was chucking a bottle at him, no doubt having grabbed it on the way up from the lab. "You're lucky that you getting killed would inconvenience me."

Karkat caught the bottle, uncapped it, pulled his shirt off right there in the entrance hall. Sollux was the only one there; what did he care? "You're going to get me killed," he remarked offhandedly as he started to spread the soothing gel over the burn. His shirt fell to the ground in a heap. Sollux eyed it expressionlessly.

"We had a deal," Sollux reminded him. "I stay here, you kick all the ass that I can't _._ If you're ready to back out and let me take your place…"

"Fuck no!" Karkat snapped. He flung the bottle back at Sollux, sneering as the psionic caught it in a ring of blue energy instead of letting it bounce off his head like he'd hoped. "You'll stay right the fuck there where you're safe, you  _won't_ try to make this idiotic rebellion of yours any larger than it already is, and you'll let me take care of everything for you!"

"Hey," Sollux said, "never let it be said that I didn't try." He popped the burn gel back into his sylladex. "Come on, KK, let's get you washed up."

"I'm—!"

"If you say  _fine,_ I will personally march over there and bend you over my knee until you stop  _lying_ to me. I can smell the blood from here."

Karkat's teeth snapped together with an audible click.

"That's what I thought." Sollux turned towards the doorway to the left and waved a hand. "Come on, let's use the ablution block down the hall."

Karkat followed with a grumble. His mind was on autopilot as he navigated the halls, having spent so much time in this place that he could have done it in his sleep without disturbing so much as a hair. Being in hiding meant spending a lot of time inside, and Sollux's hive was the ideal place to mope.

Sollux pushed open the door to the ablution block with a crash and plunked Karkat down onto the closed lid of the toilet. A moment later he was chucking a dampened cloth his way. "Clean."

Karkat did as he was told, dabbing at the blood from the shallow cut on his chest. It burned, but he'd had worse. It was a welcome distraction from the mental pain, actually. Today had been a rough day.

A sharp sting and pressure at his shoulder let him know that Sollux was applying sterilizing liquid to the cut. "Can't have it get infected," he explained. "The last time that happened you were out of action for a month." He tossed the closed bottle of antiseptic and substituted it for a roll of bandages. Karkat sat in silence.

"Hey…KK?"

He hummed. "What is it?"

Sollux narrowed his eyes. "Go see GZ."

"What?"

"GZ," Sollux repeated. He fastened the loose end of the bandage and stepped away, leaving Karkat's wound bound. "You were out of it tonight, KK, don't try to tell me differently. You totally got caught with your pants down in front of those drones."

"Like hell I did!" Karkat protested, shoving his kismesis away from him. "You would have been hurt just like I was, you bulgemunching moron, so don't give me that shit!"

Sollux sighed, long and exasperated, saying, "What is that's got you in a funk this time? Not contemplating the futility of our very existence again, is it?"

"Fuck you," he snarled. "I'm not weak."

"No," Sollux agreed, "you're not. But even the strongest trolls need to whine about something every once and a while, you know."

Karkat realized suddenly that his fingers were toying with his left ear again. It was a habit he'd picked up not long after the first of them had started to go through their adult molts, fingers plucking at the purple stud he'd embedded there not long after leaving the game. Swiftly he removed his hand, tucking it between his legs so he couldn't play with the tiny purple chip.

Sollux had already noticed, though. Always did. He glared, muttering, "I really wish you'd get rid of that thing."

"I could always get one in mustard yellow," Karkat teased, though his voice was hollow. It always was when it came to talking about that little chip, jutting barely a few centimeters out from the flesh of his ear. "I could wear it on the right."

"KK."

"What?" he asked, clamping his hand tighter between his knees. "My moirail is an indigoblood, you know, it's perfectly reasonable to have an indigo piercing to represent his blood color! Trolls do it all the time!"

"That's not indigo. It's  _purple_."

"Same fucking thing!"

"It's not and you know it!"

Karkat shoved Sollux's fingers away when they tried to reach for the side of his head. "Mind your own fucking business, and let me mind mine!"

"It's not  _healthy_  to—"

" _Fuck. You."_

Sollux recoiled with an expression that almost appeared wounded. He regained his wits quickly, though, fixing Karkat with a look of pitch loathing. "You know what? Fine. You can keep ED's shitty little token of his fucking  _pathetic_ affections, and you can let yourself wither away into nothing for all I care! Just make sure that when you  _do_ decide to run off and die, you pick a corner out of my sight!"

"Wow," Karkat scoffed, "pent up much? I know we haven't had a good fight in a while, but you're grasping at straws here."

Sollux growled. "In the mood to test me, KK? I'll rip that piercing right the fuck out of your ear, I swear I fucking will!"

"Yeah, yeah." Karkat reached up and tugged at the psionic's right ear, taunting, "Why don't I just stab a needle through  _your_ skin, then we can be even?"

The taller troll shuddered, white teeth jutting out between black lips. Claws glinted in the dull light, the promise of blood and gore dancing at his fingertips. Red and blue eyes cut straight through the lenses of his glasses, and Karkat was stricken with the realization that  _yes,_ it had been far too long since their last fight, and he could practically feel the flesh of his kismesis ripping beneath his talons already.

Then Sollux reached out and clamped a hand down on Karkat's burned arm, and the mutantblood yelped as the tender skin tore like paper. "Fucking  _ow,_ you shithead!"

The psionic drew back with a wince, his haze of black anger broken by Karkat's sharp cry of pain. Perhaps it was typical of some trolls involved in a kismesissitude to seriously injure each other, but Karkat and Sollux had long since determined that drawing any serious blood and causing any  _real_ pain wasn't a good idea. A few bloody noses were common, yes, and it was a frequent occurrence for both of them to walk away from their encounters with slashes running across their chests and down their backs—but the furthest they'd ever gotten had been when Sollux was really, truly upset over the failure of a mission, and without Aradia present to placate him, he'd lashed out with his psionics and landed Karkat with a rather lovely scar that dragged straight from shoulder to hip.

Karkat gingerly removed Sollux's claws from his flesh. "Take it easy," he hissed, "that fucking hurts!"

Sollux recoiled without a sound. His eyes were still dark, though, dangerous with frustration that he was no doubt longing to take out on his kismesis. It had been so long since they'd fought, and Karkat getting hurt had been the perfect excuse to start one of their typical spats. Unfortunately, Karkat wasn't having it. He was tired and hurt and frustrated, and that frustration wasn't the kind that he was going to be able to alleviate just by beating the shit out of Sollux. Sollux was right. He needed Gamzee, or he was going to lose his shit and do something he'd regret later.

"Go see Aradia," Karkat murmured, pushing at his kismesis's shoulder until he backed away with a huff. "But for fuck's sake, don't take your shit out on Feferi."

Sollux's expression immediately dropped, and he said, "Shut it, KK. You know as well as I do that seeing FF isn't an option right now."

"Then Aradia it is," he decided, reaching for the discarded bandages and wrapping them around the arm that now sported a set of puncture holes on top of the burns. "Thanks for the extra set of wounds, by the way."

"Sorry," Sollux winced. "Shit…I'm sorry, KK. I wasn't thinking."

"Go see Aradia," he repeated. "You work off your frustration, I work off mine. How's that?"

The psionic drew away with a short nod. "Yeah. Yeah, that's a good call." He took the remaining bandages from Karkat and shoved them back into the cabinet above the load gaper. "Are you all patched up?"

"Good as new," Karkat responded flatly. "So leave, you idiot, before our better judgment fails us and we end up at each other's throats. Unless you  _want_ me to give you a matching piercing, or a few scars of your own, in which case feel free to stick around and poke the sleeping bear with a stick."

"No, no," Sollux said, raising his hands defensively in front of his face. "Just take the passage instead of the streets, yeah? We don't want to draw any more attention to us than we already have."

Karkat clicked in agreement, using that low, sharp sound that only trolls could make.

"Good. Be back by this time in a few days, though, got it? I'm planning another mission."

" _More_  fucking drones?" Karkat asked with a groan. "How many of those things do you  _need?"_

"As many as it takes to figure out how to program them for ourselves." Sollux opened the door to the ablution block and stepped through it. "I'm telling you, KK, once I crack the way those things function we'll have a hell of an easier time fighting back."

"Fighting back," Karkat grumbled. "Because we all know how that worked out the last time someone tried it."

Sollux's eyes flashed. "How fucking  _dare_ you bring FF into this? It's not her fault she lost to her shithead of an ancestor; we all should have tried harder!"

"Yeah," Karkat said bitterly. "We should have."

Sollux stared, stopped in his tracks by Karkat's bluntness, and watched in shock as his kismesis brushed past him and went out into the main body of the hive.

Karkat pulled his cell out of his pocket. Trollian would have been quieter, perhaps, but using the program was risky when there was the possibility of being tracked by the Empire. He heard Sollux exiting the ablution block behind him, oddly silent.

The Cancer selected Gamzee's contact without hesitation. Waited as the cell rang. Then he groaned, lowering his arm when Gamzee failed to pick up. He was probably drifting off in a sopor-induced daydream, staring at his phone and giggling at the flashing lights.

Karkat swore softly under his breath and slid his phone back into his pocket.

"No answer?" Sollux asked from his back.

"No," Karkat growled, "it looks like my fucking  _idiot_  of a moirail is off in sopor wonderland again."

"Take the tunnels," Sollux requested again. Then he was gone, disappearing into the bowels of the lab. He would call Aradia soon, no doubt, and burn off some of his frustration.

_Take the tunnels._ He knew what that meant. Sweeps ago, back when Karkat had first gone into hiding, Sollux had decided to start working on a system of underground pathways that would connect different hives together. It was the perfect way to travel without risking being spotted by the drones or the on-world military. First it had just been Karkat and Sollux's hives that had been connected. But then, the first time Karkat had nearly clawed his own stomach open because of the impossibility of visiting his moirail, a closely-watched highblood, while he was in hiding, Sollux had decided to extend the system of tunnels to include Gamzee's hive as well. Soon enough the tunnels stretched to include a series of checkpoints around the main troll city, which Sollux had started using to trap drones and drag them back to the lab for study. He'd been trying to reprogram them, but it wasn't going well.

Karkat wasted no time after that. He made his way over to the tunnel room, which was located just beyond the living room and the kitchen, and chose the correct tunnel without a second thought. He tried to keep visits to a minimum, seeing as a single misstep could put both him and Gamzee between the fangs of the Empire, but this time he didn't think it could be helped—especially if his  _ridiculous_  killer clown of a moirail was lying on the ground in a puddle of green slime on the oceanside.

He vanished into the mouth of the tunnel and was gone. 


	2. Memories Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karkat and Sollux jam, and nothing is resolved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're ready for some world building, because oh boy, that's all this chapter is!
> 
> This week's chapter is Memories Lost by Keith Beauvais.

Four sweeps in the past, Karkat kicked his heels out over the ocean and watched the dark water ripple beneath his feet. He was a good ways up, perched with his legs shoved over the edge of the deck of a massive ship, and the sheer height of it combined with the fact that he'd probably be dead if he fell made his stomach lurch with an excited kind of fear. He loved this. He loved the water, loved everything associated it despite the evolutionary instinct to run as far away from the depths as he could. Terrifying things lurked in the water; every landdweller knew that. He should stay away, but there was someone here he thought was worth the price of fear.

There was the sound of a hatch opening, then the heavy thud of boots traipsing across the deck. They noise grew closer until it was coming from right behind Karkat, then there was the sound of someone lowering themselves to the wooden planks at his side. Fingers brushed his wrist.

"How forward," Karkat jibed, but nonetheless turned his hand to accept the other troll's probing fingers. "You've mellowed since the game, Ampora."

Eridan flashed him a grin full of jagged teeth. "You got a problem with that, Kar? I thought you were quite enjoyin' my company."

"Fuck off, creep," was the response. But it lacked fire, lacked conviction, and Eridan's smirk just widened in response.  _I've got you now,_ his eyes whispered.

"It's warmer inside," Eridan pointed out. It was true. His hive was anchored out in the ocean right where the wind was strongest, and right now it was whipping spray up into Karkat's face as he stared out over the horizon. "There's snacks," the taller troll went on. "And a fuckin'  _ton_ of romcoms."

Karkat narrowed his eyes. "Which ones do you have?"

"Really, Kar? You  _really_ want to hear me list off the title of every single movie I have? Because I'm pretty sure we'd be here all night if I did."

"Fair enough."

Eridan rumbled out a laugh, pushing himself to his feet and reaching down in an offer to help Karkat up. "You comin', or are you gonna stand out here and stare at nothin' for the next several hours?"

Karkat pretended to pause and consider it, just so he wouldn't appear overly eager. It had only been a few months since they'd all left the game, and still he was attempting to pretend that he  _hadn't_ developed a rather close relationship with Eridan. Sure, he was kind of an asshole, and he was  _really_ a desperate, insensitive jerk, but Karkat thought that it all hit a little too close to home for him to judge too harshly. Besides, Eridan knew his blood color. He knew and he hadn't freaked out, making him one of the only two trolls on the entire planet that understood. Even his unofficial moirail didn't know, and the troll that would probably be his kismesis in the future was still clueless.

The fact that Eridan hadn't flipped his lid counted for a lot, apparently.

Eridan rolled his eyes when Karkat took too long to respond. "Okay, have it your way." He reached down and took Karkat's wrist, hauling him up despite the indignant squawk that was thrown his way. "No complainin', Kar! You asked for it!"

"I absolutely did  _not_ fucking ask for it, fuckass! Put me down at once!"

Eridan just snorted and threw him over his shoulder. "Look at you. Anyone would think you hated me."

"As  _if,"_ he sneered, claws raking lightly at Eridan's back as he made his way towards the hatch that led to the interior of the ship. "You'd make a terrible kismesis."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," was the joking response. "But seriously, I already know who I'm goin' after for that quadrant."

Karkat winced. One day he knew they would have to deal with Eridan's obsession with Sollux, deal with the fact that the psionic was more interested in  _Karkat_ than anyone else for that particular quadrant. But not now. Now Eridan was ducking down into the ship with a chuckle, was laughing as Karkat went for his gills with the intent to tickle him into submission.

"Kar, cut it out!"

"Never," he mock-growled. "I'm going to be the one carrying you, if anything!"

"I'm twice your height!"

"I just haven't molted yet, fuck you!"

And that was approaching dangerous territory, with the knowledge that Karkat's adult molt would most likely mean his death, but Eridan said nothing to acknowledge it other than a half amused, "We'll see."

Sometime soon, Karkat thought, things would have to change. Soon they would have to fight the Condesce. Soon they would start to go into adult molt. Soon, one by one, they would be sent off world to join the fleet. Soon Karkat would die.

Soon. But not now.

* * *

 

 

"Gamzee?" Karkat called out, emerging from the tunnel that connected his hive to his moirail's. "Gamzee, are you here?"

There was no response. All Karkat saw was a dark, empty hive, horridly messy and partially caked with a dull green crust that had to be dried sopor slime.

_Oh, man. This is exactly what I fucking needed._ Karkat closed the entrance to the tunnel beside him and stepped fully into the living room. The tunnel fed out into a hatch in the floor, covered by a rug whenever it wasn't in use. It wasn't the most clever method of hiding the tunnels, but no one was ever in Gamzee's house long enough to figure it out. The highblood was volatile, after all, so all of the members of the on-world military who had been assigned to watch him were too scared to do much more than peep into the windows with a pair of ocular magnifiers. They should be safe, for now.

But that left the question: where the fuck was Gamzee?

Karkat gingerly picked his way further into the living room. He had to be cautious. Gamzee hadn't had a violent episode in nearly a sweep, but it was still good to play things safe where the clown was involved. One day the juggalo might not look twice before he swung at whoever was in his hive.

"Come on, Gamzee, this isn't funny!" Karkat snapped. "Answer me, you pitiful fuck!"

Still, there was nothing.

"Okay, fine!" Karkat took a quick peek around the corner to make sure all the windows in the front room were closed. Then, seeing that they were, he walked around and made his way up the stairs to where Gamzee's 'coon was. There were no windows up there, so there was no risk of anyone looking in and spotting them.

It didn't take long for him to get to Gamzee's room. The door was closed, as it usually was, and pushing it open let Karkat catch a glimpse into a dark, cold room. Gamzee's cool blood meant that he kept his hive at a temperature that was almost freezing for Karkat's natural heat.

"You in there?" Karkat tried one last time. This time, though, a low groan came from the far corner of the respiteblock. Well, at least he wasn't rampaging.

He picked his way into the room and over the copious piles of faygo bottles and empty pie tins. No doubt Gamzee was lying on the ground in a puddle of green just like he'd suspected, staring at nothing, arms splayed out in odd directions. Just a little further to the recuperacoon, and—

"Gamzee," Karkat groaned, "you pitiful fuck."

He received a low sigh in response, a smudge of indigo shifting slightly in a pool of lime. A pair of green-crusted horns jutted out from the mess, gleaming a mixture of red and orange and yellow that called out like a beacon. Gamzee's limbs, too long for the small space he'd crammed himself into between the recuperacoon and the wall, were folded in at unnatural angles that couldn't have been made comfortable by anything but sopor.

"Damn it, Gamzee, I thought we were trying to work you down from this stuff! Take lower doses and all that garbage, get you down to the bare minimum necessary to keep you from flipping your shit whenever I'm not around to shooshpap you into submission!"

Another groan, this one more of a gurgle.

"Fuck, are you trying to  _breathe_  that shit?"

_Gurgle._

"God," Karkat sighed, reaching over and jamming the lights up to their highest setting, sneering when Gamzee writhed at the pain of it. "You're lucky I pity you, otherwise I'd be fucking  _pissed."_

"Motherfucking…best… _friend…"_

_Fan-fucking-tastic_. Karkat tromped over to his moirail and dropped to his knees in the slime. He didn't hesitate for a moment, familiar with the routine of unsticking Gamzee from the sopor-crusted floor of his bedroom and propping him up against the side of the recuperacoon.

"Hey, fuckass." Karkat batted at Gamzee's cheek. "Eyes on me!"

Gamzee blinked, disorientated. It always took a while to get him coherent after an incident like this one.

"Up we go, you idiot," the shorter troll grumbled. He hauled Gamzee's sorry ass upward, forcing the troll's legs beneath him to take at least a portion of his monstrous weight. Adult molt had left Gamzee a monster and Karkat a shrimp, and it wasn't an easy feat to get the highblood up and into the bathroom. This was normal. He knew this. He would dump Gamzee into the shower, run the tap long enough to get off the majority of the slime, then get a bath going to soak out the rest. Gamzee would be dazed for the entire thing, but afterwards he'd smother Karkat in overbearing hugs and affectionate snuggles, which Karkat would whine and complain about but secretly love, and that would be payment enough.

True to routine, Karkat dumped Gamzee into the shower, clothes and all, and cranked the water up to full blast. Gamzee barely reacted as the cold spray hit him. Karkat reached into the shower and winced at the cold sting of the liquid, cranking it up a degree or two. To him it still felt like ice, but he knew that Gamzee's blood meant that it would feel like a pleasantly warm bath.  _Fucking thanks for nothing, Gamzee, making me do all this shit to fix your dysfunctional ass._

Karkat lowered himself to sit on the edge of the trap and started to massage the slime from his moirail's hair. Gamzee actually purred at that, arching back into his touch with a low rumble. Familiar territory. He knew every inch of Gamzee, knew all of the spots that would make him trill happily and curl up into a ball of blissed-out highblood mess, and it didn't take more than a moment for him to render his moirail a content puddle at the bottom of the basin.

"Can you hear me yet?" Karkat asked as he started up the lower tap and plugged the drain to fill the bath. "Come on, idiot, back to the land of the living!"

Gamzee's eyes flickered up to meet his with a dazed smile.  _"Karbro._ Motherfucker. Is that you?"

"No, it's the imperial drones."

Gamzee laughed, low and slurring, and Karkat couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Kaaaarkaaaat…I fucking  _knew_ it, motherfucker! I can always up and count on you, can't I?"

"Of course you can, you pathetic wreck. I'm your fucking moirail." The bath was as full as it was going to get now, and Karkat reached out to turn off the water before it could overflow. Gamzee was a large troll, so it didn't take much water to completely fill up the space around him. "There, how does that feel?"

The juggalo purred up at him in response, eyes half-lidded, teeth peeking out from behind black lips in a dopey smirk. "Motherfucking  _brilliant,_ best friend. I knew you'd be all over comin' to help me out and shit if I called you."

"You  _didn't_ call me, fuckass! I came over here to vent and found you in a puddle again!"

"Oh…I'm real sorry, Karbro…the sopor just looked  _so_ motherfucking inviting, and I was having a bitch of a day, and I just kinda…" Gamzee trailed off, flailing his arms in an attempt to get his point across.

"Okay, okay!" Karkat grabbed Gamzee's wrists before he could hurt someone. "Just relax, Makara."

Gamzee just chuckled dazedly, still pulling back against his moirail's grip. "What a motherfucking  _miracle_ you are."

"God, you're such a moron. I'm pale for a  _complete_ fucking moron."

"Aww, I'm all kinds of pale for you too."

Karkat ignored him in favor of taking one of his moirail's hands and starting to sweep the sopor from beneath his nails. "So…are you coherent enough to talk?"

"Motherfucking coherent as  _fuck_ , motherfucker."

How reassuring.

"So why're you all up and existin' in here right now, Karbro?"

If his hands hadn't been currently occupied with Gamzee's, Karkat was sure he'd be plucking at the chip in his ear. His nervous habit was going to be the death of him. Normally Gamzee would have noticed the telltale twitch of muscles that signified he was suppressing the urge to reach up—but tonight he was dazed, blissed out of his mind and just lying there uselessly.

The bard's eyes narrowed. "Hang on…this is about that awful little motherfucker that all up and abandoned you?"

Shit. Maybe Gamzee was more perceptive than he seemed, even in this state.

"Motherfucker, if Solbro's tormenting you about that cute piece in your ear again then I'll—"

"We've jammed about this a thousand fucking times," Karkat snapped. "Another one isn't going to help!"

"Then why are you motherfucking  _here,_ best friend?"

"Because you're a pathetic mess who needs his moirail, you crack-panned moron." He poked Gamzee in the cheek for emphasis. It was true, but it wasn't why he'd gone to Gamzee. Hell, maybe he'd actually been trying to seek comfort for all the shit that had happened to him in the past few sweeps. Maybe he'd been searching for the reassurance that it wasn't his fault that his matespritship had fallen apart sweeps ago and his kismesissitude was lacking.

True to form, Gamzee just chuckled. He had no idea that anything was wrong in this state, and it would take a while longer at least before he snapped out of it enough to realize what was going on. Right now he was nothing but content.

"Any change with the royal guard?" Karkat asked gruffly. Then, when Gamzee just stared blankly, he clarified, "The trolls assigned to watch you for any sign of impending breakdown? The ones who are supposed to keep constant vigil and report back to the Condesce the instant they think that you might  _possibly_ have a moirail that could pacify you whenever you attempt to murder your entire squadron on the battlefield? You know,  _those_  guys?"

Gamzee paused. Blinked. "Oh,  _those_ little motherfuckers? Nah, Karbro, all's well. I was just gettin' my think on about some heavy motherfucking shit, and started feeling all kinds of sad about our situation, and then I thought that a pie sounded real good so I just up and ate a few."

_Our situation,_ Karkat thought, a flicker of pain overtaking him even as his face remained expressionless.  _The fact that we have to hide every time we want to see each other. The fact that if anyone knew Gamzee had a moirail, both of us would either be executed or shipped off to conquer worlds along with the rest of our 'friends.'_

Gamzee raised a hand imploringly. "Best friend. Karbro. Motherfucker. Care to help a brother out?"

He reached out, a silent mixture of miserable and pacified, and pulled his moirail out of the ablution trap.

_Time to jam._

* * *

 

 

"Sollux," Aradia said with a sigh, "this can't go on forever."

"Speak for yourself, AA," the psionic responded bitingly. The two of them were down in the lab with the newly captured drones, nowhere near a pile but attempting to have a jam nonetheless. It wasn't working well—not because of the lack of a pile, but because Sollux was probably the most stubborn troll on the planet aside from Karkat himself. He knew as much, and was proud of it.

"I  _am_  speaking for myself," Aradia said. "I'm speaking for myself, who knows you and knows Karkat well enough to know that this can only end poorly."

Sollux huffed out a frustrated breath, continuing his quest to remove the plating at the back of one of the drones to get at its motherboard. This was something he'd done a hundred times before, and would probably do a hundred times again before he finally cracked the code used to program them. He could have done it with his hands tied behind his back. "Stay out of it."

"I can't stay out of it! You're my moirail, Sollux, and Karkat is my friend. The two of you are completely ridiculous, and I can't help but think that if he finds out what you're doing from anyone but you—or even  _from_ you if you tell him in a way lacking honesty and honor—the kind of hate he'll feel for you won't be in the least romantic. Do you want that, Sollux? Do you want your kismesis to really, truly hate you? Because he will!"

"He's not going to find out until it's too late to stop me." The plates popped off of the drone with a click. The motherboard stared up at him with deadened lights.  _Okay, right. I can do it this time. I can reprogram this thing._

"What if I were to tell him?"

He froze. "AA."

"What if I've had enough of this sick situation, and I decide that Karkat deserves to know the truth? What if I'm the one that goes and tells him that you're planning an honest to god  _rebellion,_ and that the number of trolls you've hooked into it is simply  _astonishing,_ and that—"

"AA!" Sollux snapped, cutting her off. "It's too soon. If you tell him now, he'll try to stop me! The only way this works is if we just leave Karkat in the dark and plan the rebellion on our own. When we have the force to make a real attack…he can find out then. By then it will be too late to stop us."

"You risk destroying your kismesissitude for this. You know that, don't you?"

"My kismesissitude is far less important than taking our planet back. You went through the game with us, AA. You know how much we deserve, and how much we were left with. Fuck, how much pain have you gone through just being a part of the on-world military? What amount of suffering has KK endured because of his isolation, and because of the asshole that left him to go join the Condesce?"

"Eridan had no choice," Aradia reminded him softly.

"Fuck that, he had the  _easiest_ choice: live a monster or die honorably. But in the end, I guess he didn't have the globes to go through with it."

"Karkat would have been hurt either way."

"Yeah, but this way he has to watch his former matesprit destroy entire solar systems."

Aradia fell silent.

"And do you want to know what the worst part is?" Sollux growled. "The worst part is that I think ED stopped caring a long time ago. He may have acted like he didn't want to go with the Condesce at first, but we've seen no sign that he's not having the time of his life out there, completely loyal to the person that beat FF into the ground."

"I do not think that—"

"Oh yeah? Why else would he have broken contact with all of us entirely?"

Aradia shifted nervously, attempting, "Perhaps he grew busy, or the Condesce requested that he refrain from contacting his former friends."

"If that's true, and ED listened to that bitch when she told him to abandon everyone he'd ever cared about, then that's enough proof right there that he's not worth fighting for."

Aradia opened her mouth, then closed it without a word.

"We'll keep building the rebellion," Sollux said. "We'll build it as high as we can, strike when we have the numbers to draw the Empire here, and then we'll take them all out in one fell swoop. And when ED decides he wants to stay on the wrong side, maybe KK will finally let me rip that measly little chip out of his ear, and the two of us can go off bickering into the sunset as the most hatefully happy pair possible. Or maybe he'll turn his back and walk away without so much as a goodbye. Either way, the Empire will be gone."

"Is there nothing I can do to convince you to tell Karkat of your plans? He's done so much to keep you out of harm's way, and if he knew that you were throwing yourself into danger despite his sacrifices—"

"KK knows the risks. It's his choice to continue fighting despite the fact that he has no love for a rebellion he doesn't believe stands a chance, and no hope for a group of fighters he  _believes_  to be no more than ten strong."

"I…" Aradia hesitated, as if she wanted to say more, but ended up doing nothing but bowing her head. She knew that continuing to argue would be pointless. Sollux wouldn't relent once he was as determined about something as he was about this. "I understand."

Sollux returned his attention to the drone with forced intensity. "Hand me that wrench, will you? I'm going to try to get this plate off."

The rustblood obeyed without a word. Their jam, pathetic as it may have been, was over.

* * *

 

Some time later Karkat dumped a freshly scrubbed Gamzee down onto the pile in the relaxation block, satisfied in that there wasn't a single spec of sopor left visible anywhere on his moirail. His clothes had been changed, the wet ones thrown into a corner somewhere, his hair had been neatly combed (how long that would last god only knew) and even the spaces beneath his nails had been picked clean of slime. He was as clean now as he'd ever be. Karkat, on the other hand, was trashed. He was pretty sure he'd gotten the remnants of lime green off himself for the most part, but his fingers were pruning from prolonged exposure to water and his whole body ached from toe to horntip as a result of dragging his massive moirail around the hive. Maneuvering the taller troll down the stairs had been no easy feat.

Gamzee hummed, drawing Karkat's frazzled attention. "Mmm…thanks, Karbro. Needed that."

"Yeah, I know you did." Karkat reached out when prompted and let Gamzee pull him down onto the pile at his side. "You're a complete and utter wreck, you know that?"

Another hum. Gamzee was coherent for the most part now, the only sopor in his system being the amount necessary to keep him in his usual calm state, but he was still just a little loopy in the head. "Yeah I know, best friend. So are we gonna get our jam on or what?"

For just a moment, Karkat wanted to punch him. He wanted to wind back and deck him right in the face, snarling about how he'd  _wanted_ to jam when he'd first come over but now he was too irritated by having to peel his moirail up off the ground again to focus on his own problems. But then the anger faded. Gamzee…this wasn't really his fault. The troll was miserable and frustrated whenever he wasn't on sopor, saddened because he wasn't allowed to live normally due to his blood, and consuming as much of the stuff as he had was simply a coping mechanism. He couldn't be blamed for wanting to be happy.

"Karbro?"

He blinked. "Yeah," he said finally, "let's jam."

Gamzee frowned, reaching out with long, thin fingers to brush up against the side of Karkat's right horn. Not hard enough to trigger the subduing biochemicals, but just enough to make him a little calmer. "Spacing out, my little miracle?"

Karkat leaned into his moirail's touch with a content chirp. He was always angry, he thought, but with Gamzee looking at him like that he didn't have the energy to project.  _Let's get the interrogation over with. There's…there's always been the same thing bothering me, but maybe this time he can help._

But then again, Gamzee had never been able to help him with this before.

"So what's up with you, Karbro?" Gamzee questioned, the words slow and sluggish. "You're all quiet-like and shit."

A sigh. Gamzee always knew just what to say, didn't he?

"Is it the same as usual?" Gamzee pressed. "Come on, best friend, we've been all up over this a thousand motherfucking times."

"I fucking know we have!" he snapped, then broke off into another low chirp as Gamzee pressed at the base of his horn. "I mean…I…"

Gamzee grinned. "There we go, motherfucker, just get your relax on. Lean into me and all that good shit."

Karkat landed against Gamzee's chest with a thunk, his head settling into the groove between the troll's neck and shoulder. It was always a little uncomfortable when this happened, seeing as Karkat's body temperature ran blindingly hot and Gamzee's chillingly cold, but they managed well enough. Whenever Karkat got as close as he was now, slotting his head up under Gamzee's chin and poking his nubby horns up into the tough flesh, it almost felt normal. It almost felt like their temperatures equalized and they were just a typical pale couple, two average midbloods living an average life. They would still be afraid, of course, even if they were midbloods—but they'd be  _less_ afraid, and that would be enough.

"It sucks." Then Karkat blinked, not having meant to say it.

Gamzee's fingertips rubbed gentle circles into his back. "Sure does, best friend. It  _really_ motherfucking sucks." And even after he said it, when Karkat looked up at him in surprise and nudged his horns up into the underside of his chin, he offered no explanation as to what  _it_ was. None was needed.

"You want to know something?" Karkat asked after a long pause, voice thin and soft.

"What's going on up inside your head, brother?"

"I'm not sad anymore."

Gamzee shook his head, and the movement caused Karkat's horns to rasp against his flesh. "That's all kinds of lyin' and you know it. I've never seen a brother look so motherfucking upset as when you get your jam on about Eridan over here."

"It's true. I'm not sad."

Gamzee just sighed.

"I'm really not."

Another sigh, this one deeper than the last.

"I'm fucking  _not."_

"Karbro—"

"I'm angry."

Gamzee stopped in his tracks. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, it  _is_. I'm so angry I could fucking  _spit_."

Gamzee raised a hand, but Karkat grabbed his wrist before his palm could come batting down to rest against his cheek. He didn't need Gamzee to soothe him right now, he needed to  _vent._

Still, Gamzee cut him off before he could really get going. "I'm real motherfucking surprised to hear that, best friend. 'Cause for as long as we've been doing this whole talking thing, all you've been on about is how motherfucking sad you were over the whole mess."

"I'm past it!" Karkat snapped, and maybe it was just the frustration at how his kismesissitude with Sollux had been lagging as of late, but he found himself unable to stop the steady flow of anger. "You've been telling me  _for-fucking-ever_ , Gamzee, that it was over and moving on was a thing that existed and that I should definitely do, but I've never fucking listened because I'm too goddamn stubborn to do anything for my own good! And now this whole mess is affecting my other quadrants, and it's…" He trailed off, waving his hands pathetically. It was  _pathetic_ , that's what it was.

"You're all kinds of mad at Eridan, huh?"

"Yeah. Fucking  _yeah._ And I think I have been for a really long time. For sweeps."

"I think anyone in your situation would be doin' the same motherfucking thing, Karbro. Don't pin it all on yourself."

What else was he to do? "I'm  _so fucking angry._  You don't understand— _"_

Gamzee batted him across the cheek, and this time he let it happen. "Brother. Shoosh. Motherfucking  _shoosh._  It's not your fault."

"Yeah, but now my other quadrants are—"

He cut him off again. "That mad anger's gettin' out at Solbro, is that it? The motherfucker's taking all kinds of anger that's not up and meant for him."

Karkat's breath left him in a vicious whoosh. "Yeah. Yeah, that's right. I'm angry at Eridan, angry at the entire situation of living in hiding and trying to keep everyone together, and I'm  _afraid_ of what's going to happen when we're finally found out."

"Brother, that ain't no thing. We're not gonna be found out."

"The Empire isn't as dumb as you all seem to think it is," Karkat growled. "The Condesce hasn't stayed in power all this time by being a fucking  _idiot._  One day they're going to find us right the fuck out, and then what's going to happen? Sollux is just getting more and more bold with those shitty attacks of his, and soon—"

Gamzee pressed a finger to his lips. "Shoooooooosh. It's all going to be good, Karbro."

"Gamzee, that's not…"

He narrowed his eyes. "Don't make me grab those little horns of yours, best friend. I'll motherfucking do it."

Karkat snapped his jaw closed with an audible click.

"Good." Gamzee pulled him close until they were practically melted into each other. "Now you up and listen to me, motherfucker. None of this is your fault, and bein' all angry at Eridan is perfectly motherfucking righteous and shit, but you gotta make sure that your other quadrants ain't gettin' all kinds of messed up by that anger. You hear me?"

Karkat swallowed hard. Nodded.

"And you should start motherfucking  _visiting_ more, Karbro. If you've got all this anger bubbling up in your heart, then we gotta jam and take care of it."

He didn't think that having a feelings jam was the way to take care of the rage he felt next to constantly now. But he also didn't think that taking it out on Sollux was okay, seeing as the anger he felt was close to murderous and he  _really_ didn't want to lose the one concupiscent quadrant he had. Not with the, ah… _mutation,_ in his lower half. No…the only thing that would help him was beating the shit out of Eridan, but he didn't think that was even a remote possibility. Eridan was with the Condesce, the Vice Admiral of the Imperial Fleet and the right hand troll of the monster that had nearly killed Feferi, and he had been for sweeps.

"Karbro? Best friend?"

He jerked, realizing he'd been silent for too long. "Yeah," he said gruffly. "Sounds good."

Gamzee gave a worried frown. "You sure you're all right?"

He bit his tongue. "I'm perfectly fucking fine, so don't you dare think otherwise!"

He thought Gamzee could tell that he was lying. But the troll said nothing, just gave a small frown before brushing his fingers through his moirail's hair. He wouldn't push, as he never pushed. He would wait for Karkat to come to him.

Sometimes, Karkat thought, that wasn't enough.

"Mind jamin' about some of my problems now, brother? Unless you've got some more motherfuckers to complain about, of course."

"Sure," Karkat forced out, even though there was  _so much more_ he wanted to say. Maybe he'd tell Gamzee about the way he'd wake up in a blind panic in the middle of the night, thrashing around before realizing that he wasn't about to be captured and executed for his blood color. Maybe he would tell him about the long periods where he'd simply sit in place and stare into the mirror, eyeing the little purple chip pierced through his ear and wondering if it was his fault that Eridan left. Maybe he'd tell him about the way he'd often find himself watching the walls and wishing they would move like the waves of the ocean. But all of that was pathetic, more so than he wanted to admit he could be, and getting to him to say it would have taken badgering that Gamzee wasn't able to give him. Gamzee was content. Karkat helped him through everything and pushed whenever the highblood was unwilling to admit to something he was dealing with. Karkat was not content.

_Something is missing,_ he thought for the hundredth time as Gamzee started to describe an encounter he'd had with a hot stove during an attempt to make a pie.  _All the pieces of my life are here, but it's just like…there's one piece out of place. One little piece amidst a sea of others, and that one piece is throwing everything else out of whack. If I could find that piece and slot it into place, I feel like everything else would just_ work _._

But that wasn't an option. He didn't have the time to find that piece, not when it could be anywhere and he was too busy helping Sollux so that he didn't go off and self-destruct in an attempt to fuel his petty rebellion. It wasn't an option.

And it especially wasn't an option whenever he thought that the missing piece would probably lead him right back to the troll that had left him without so much as a goodbye all those sweeps ago.

_Fucking Eridan. If we'd never met, this would all be so much fucking easier. But here I am, and there you are, and…_

Karkat shook his head to clear the unpleasant thoughts. For the thousandth time he told himself to let it go, as if it was ever a thing that was going to happen.

_You're ruining everything for me, Ampora. Turning me into some kind of damsel in distress. Wherever you are…it would be easier for everyone if you would just disappear._

* * *

 

 

Karkat returned to Sollux's hive late at night, slipping back through the tunnel and emerging into the side room. No one was there. Sollux must have been either asleep or experimenting on the drones that had been captured that day.

He should probably let Sollux know that he'd returned safe and sound from Gamzee's hive, but he was too heated from his jam with his moirail to say anything to his kismesis (which was probably a bad sign; jams were supposed to calm you down not fire you up), and so he picked his way over to the hatch that would lead him into the tunnel going back to his own hive. It wasn't far from Sollux's. It would be a short journey.

Karkat reached for the hatch, then paused when he saw a slip of paper adhered to it. He plucked it up and recognized the handwriting at once.

_KK,_ it began,  _sorry about earlier. I was just a little on edge because of the mission, but AA helped me calm down. I've decided to move the next mission up to tomorrow, so you'd better be here at the usual time. It's nothing dangerous, just a routine surveillance run. See you then._

Short, blunt, and to the point. Just like Sollux.

Karkat shoved the note into his pocket and wrenched open the hatch. His muscles were already starting to ache from his fight with the drones, and now that he knew he'd be going back out the next day the rest of him just seemed to pulse even harder. It seemed like Sollux had been sending him out more and more often lately. His idiotic rebellion wasn't going anywhere no matter what he did, so why was he so adamant?

He huffed. Now wasn't the time to think about this. For now all he wanted to do was go home and sulk about the day, about his pathetic attempt at a feelings jam with Gamzee, and about the anger that just seemed to have been growing more and more intense as of late. At least  _Sollux_ sounded like he'd worked through his shit.

_Fuck this. I don't have the time to sit here and mope._ Scowling, Karkat lifted the hatch and disappeared into the tunnel that would take him back to his hive, which was hidden at the midpoint between Sollux's place an Gamzee's. All he needed now was to dive into his recuperacoon and forget.

* * *

 

 

A few floors below, Sollux narrowed his eyes at his computer screen. Aradia was long since gone, he'd heard Karkat shuffling along down the tunnel to his hive hours ago, and there was no one else scheduled to visit him for the rest of the evening. He was alone.

At times like these, far into the night, he wondered if he was doing the right thing. He'd been slowly building this rebellion up for sweeps, gathering members through secret chat clients and by word of mouth, snatching up all those who were doubting their place beneath the Empress in hopes of strengthening his forces to the point of being able to put up a decent fight. He even had a few members of the on-world military on his side, like Aradia, though most of his recruits came from those who hadn't yet hit adult molt. Most of his forces, which ran about a hundred strong as of his last count, were still technically children—but from what he'd seen they were fierce, willing to do anything to help the cause. The trolls he'd recruited were spread thin, but they were there and willing to do whatever he asked of them.

Feferi was in on it. She wasn't really the leader, seeing as she couldn't coordinate much from the ocean, but she was sure to lend a hand whenever she could. She delivered Sollux drones for study whenever she managed to capture them (all his recruits did, though he had to be careful that Karkat never found out) and used the sea to conceal those who needed to travel quickly without being seen.

And that just brought up the trunkbeast in the room—Karkat. Karkat had no idea that the rebellion was as big as it was. He thought that it was just him, Aradia, and a few half-brained assholes looking to get themselves killed. He thought that no one was really doing anything other than himself when he went out to capture drones.

God, was he wrong.

Sollux had his forces doing much more than that. He didn't have them running around doing anything incredibly foolish, but he was working on building their actions up to become more and more noticeable. He had them hitting production plants and stealing supplies, taking out power grids through cyber attacks, sniping drones and stealthily beating the members of the on-world military down whenever it was safe. They were growing more and more bold,  _Sollux_ was growing more and more bold, and soon he thought that they might attract the attention they wanted.

They  _wanted_  the Condesce to notice.

They wanted her to notice, and they wanted her to start sending squadrons out to address the problem. They wanted to attack those squadrons and take them down and steal their equipment and take their uniforms and become more powerful than ever, even sneaking members onto Imperial ships. They wanted to spread through the Alternian military like a disease, rotting it from the inside out and taking out all of the Empress's troops before finally moving on to the real thing. They wanted to  _obliterate_ the Condesce.

They were already on their way, too. Sollux was sure that they were close to being noticed by the Empire. Every move was a carefully calculated gambit meant to draw just a little more attention to them, and soon…

Soon everything would be underway.

Sollux reached out for his husktop and opened up the private chat client he used for all his rebel contacts. Typed up a few quick messages to the group leaders. Sent them with a push of a button. Then he leaned back, staring at the tiny words as they flickered for one second, two, before being automatically deleted to avoid detection. It would be enough for the groups to see, but not enough to get them caught.

_We're going through with it,_ the message read.  _When the sun is at its highest point in the sky tomorrow, move out._

Tomorrow was going to be their boldest raid yet.


	3. Sunlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karkat and Sollux have a fight, and a certain seadweller departs for Alternia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sexual content alert! I didn't expect it to come so soon, heheh. There's one more chapter of buildup after this before the action of this story really kicks in...remember what I said about slow beginnings? I'm trying to work on that, I swear.
> 
> This week's chapter is Sunlight by Christpher Slaski.

Hey, Kar?" Eridan whispered, curling his arms around him from behind and tugging him just a little further up into his lap. "You still awake?"

Karkat looked up at him hazily. They'd been lying together on Eridan's concupiscent platform for hours, not using it for its intended purpose but just lounging there contentedly, and he was about a half second from dozing off despite the knowledge that he'd certainly have nightmares without sopor patches. He managed a low hum, but that was all.

Eridan smiled down at him. A set of long, thin fingers curled in his hair and brushed over his hornbeds with just enough force to send a dull, thrumming purr rumbling through his chest. "Good," the seatroll murmured. "I was thinkin'…"

"You do that too much," Karkat grumbled. He slid a hand up and batted at Eridan's cheek in a manner that would have been pale if not for the soft kiss that followed. "C'mon, just get some sleep."

"I think this is real important, Kar."

Karkat kissed him again. "Shush. Sleep now."

But Eridan didn't listen, leaning down in chase of his retreating lips. "Kar, really."

He sighed. "Fine, what is it?"

"I was just thinkin' about some shit, and I thought…" Eridan cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well. We don't have that much time before our adult molts begin, so I was hopin' that maybe you'd…ah…"

"Hoping that I'd what?"

Eridan shifted uncomfortably. "I was hopin' that you'd be my matesprit."

Karkat paused. Stared in disbelief. "You moron, I  _am_ your matesprit!"

"You—you are?"

"You idiot, of course I fucking am!" Karkat glared up at him, but didn't attempt to get out of his lap. "You're such a moron; why else would I make out with you all over the place?"

"I dunno, I just…" Eridan grabbed at the back of his head sheepishly. "I wanted to make sure we were on the same page?"

Karkat let his head fall back with a thud. "Oh my god, you're hopeless."

He raised a hopeful brow. "Piteous, even?"

"The absolute worst."

Immediately a wide grin spread across Eridan's features. His fins fanned out and gave these little, happy twitches that made Karkat's heart bleed red. "Oh, man. I'm so glad to year you say that, Kar, 'cause I was really goin' out of my mind over it."

"You were worried over  _that?"_ Karkat said, incredulous. "God, Eridan, just…" He reached up and hooked a hand around the seadweller's neck, yanking him down and meshing their lips firmly together.

"Just," Eridan agreed in a low murmur, gently tugging at Karkat's bottom lip with his teeth. He reached an arm around his waist, hitched him up higher, and slid his free hand down to rest against the smaller troll's abdomen. "Is this okay?"

"Yeah," Karkat hummed into him, and it was true. It was okay, and he was happy.

He'd never been happier.

* * *

 

Karkat crouched low as a pair of guards stalked by, guarding the entrance to one of Alternia's three military compounds. It was late, the sun was high in the sky, and he'd already been debriefed and sent off to gather the necessary information. He wasn't sure  _why_ Sollux was so determined to have him observe the compound today, but he'd do it if it kept the guy from charging headlong into danger himself.

He peeked up over the bushes he was crouched behind as the guards retreated. He was watching the back entrance, where the patrols were sent out, so he could count the number of trolls in each, the number of patrols in total, what times they were sent out, and give the information back to Sollux. He needed it, apparently. Who knew why?

_"KK,"_ Sollux's voice buzzed from his earpiece.  _"Anything yet?"_

He clamped a hand over his ear, afraid the voice was loud enough to be heard. "No," he hissed, "no more patrols have been sent out yet. There was just the one about thirty minutes ago that I already told you about, nothing else."

_"Perfect. I'll check in soon."_

"Wait, what are you even  _doing?"_ Karkat asked. "Why do you need this information, anyway?"

_"You asked me before you went out there, and my answer is the same now. It's just so I can start to figure out the latest pattern of when the patrols are sent out by the on-world military. Aradia can't get the exact schedule since she's so low-ranked, so I need you to check it out."_

"But why just today? Why have you never asked for this before?"

_"Just give me the fucking information, KK! God!"_

Karkat opened his mouth to snap back a vicious response, but his earpiece went fuzzy with white noise before he could manage it.  _Damn, the connection was cut off._ It was a common thing here, seeing as the base tended to jam all frequencies other than their own just as a precaution. Sollux had designed ways around it, but evidently none of them were infallible.

_I'm on my own out here,_ he realized, but he wasn't as worried as he maybe should have been. He'd been running reconnaissance for Sollux for ages, and he'd had his fair share of scrapes with the Empire. He was sure that he could get himself out of whatever was thrown at him.

"…not sure when, but it's definitely going to start escalating."

_Shit!_ Karkat flattened himself to the ground again as two more guards emerged from the entrance to the compound. The undergrowth was thick, and his clothing was dark, but he wasn't risking anything.

"It's been escalating for a while," the other troll said. Karkat couldn't see his face, but he sounded bored. "Those damn rebels have been amping up their efforts for nearly a sweep. It seems like they've been growing in number, too."

_Rebels?_ Karkat's skin prickled with suspicion.

"Who do you think's behind it?" the first troll asked.

"Peixes junior for sure. What was her name, again?"

"Feferi, I think. But didn't the Empress stomp her out a long time ago?"

"She let her go, didn't you hear? Four sweeps ago. By now I'm sure she's about ready to try again. It was real foolish of the Condesce to let her get away without snapping her neck, but I guess she knows what she's doing."

"I suppose you're right. But with the number of rebels increasing and the attacks becoming more and more frequent, I'll be surprised if the Condesce doesn't kill her for real this time."

"Oh yeah, for sure. Any word on whether or not we're getting a squadron from the fleet to come help us deal with the situation?"

"I think they're considering it, but we still haven't gotten any definite word that they're sending one. We could be on our own."

Karkat risked popping his head up to get a look at the two. They were just ordinary ground troops, nothing special, but  _why_ were they talking about a rebellion? A small rebellion, but a rebellion nonetheless, and a tiny flicker of worry started pulsing just below his heart. Surely it wasn't Sollux's halfassed attempts at an uprising that they were talking about. Surely this wasn't his doing.

The guards turned in his direction; Karkat moved to lower himself down—and slipped. He had only a heartbeat to realize what was about to happen before he cracked down right on top of the dry, crunchy undergrowth, sending up a noise that was painfully audible to all those around him.

And the guards were looking right at him. Fucking great.

"Hey!" one of them snapped out gruffly, jogging towards him. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

Oh,  _fuck._ He'd  _really_ hoped that he could avoid getting into a fight today. But here they were, and it wasn't as if he had an ID chip on him (he hadn't been given one, obviously, due to his blood) and there was no way he could talk his way out of this. No adult would ever be without an ID chip, ever.

"You heard me!" the troll repeated. He drew to a halt, a few feet away, and took up a fighting stance. The other guard stopped beside him with a nasty-looking lance in hand. "Identify yourself!"

Karkat slowly pulled himself to his feet. His fingers twitched.

The first guard drew a standard issue blade from the sheathe across his back. "Identify yourself now, or we'll have no choice but to assume you're hostile!"

_Not yet…_

The guard bared his teeth. Growled low in his throat. "Fine, you asked for it!"

The first guard stepped forward, the second moved back to adjust his aim, and Karkat snapped like a spring.

It was fast. Quiet. Karkat had done this a dozen times before, would do it a dozen times again, and so it took little effort to kick the first guard's sword aside and snatch up his sickles, whirling around and drawing his blades like twin lashes of fire across his throat. The first guard dropped to the ground, the other stared in shock, and Karkat took the opportunity to whip towards him, slam the lance to one side with his right sickle, and take his head off with his left.

Both of them were brownbloods, based on the stains on his sickles and the puddles lurching out across the ground. No shock there, seeing as only lowbloods were assigned to the on-world military. It kept them out of the way, except for when they were snatched up and sent off to work as slaves aboard the Flagship.

Karkat flicked blood off of his sickles.  _Well_. It looked like it was time to go.

He fiddled with his earpiece. "Sollux? Sollux, come in!"

White noise hissed at him for a long moment before the signal finally managed to fight its way through.  _"KK? What's wrong?"_

"Yeah, uh, I may or may not have gotten into an altercation over here."

_"What? Are you hurt?"_

"No, but two guards are dead. I don't think it's possible for me to keep watching the entrance."

Sollux let out a tiny, annoyed huff. Relented,  _"Unfortunately, you're probably right. The instant someone discovers those bodies there'll be guards swarming all over the compound. You should get out of there and come back."_

"What are you going to do about the info?"

_"I'll figure something out. Just get back here before you're caught."_

He glanced down at the bodies. Yeah, there was no hiding that. "Okay, I'll be back in ten minutes. If I'm not, assume the worst."

Sollux snorted.  _"Good luck, KK."_

He clicked his earpiece off with a smile.

* * *

 

_Goddamn it!_ Sollux slammed his fist down on his desk furiously the instant Karkat cut off communications. This was  _the_ day, it was almost time for the three military bases in the three Alternian cities to be hit all at once by the members of the rebellion, and it was going to be  _so much harder_ if Karkat couldn't tell him how many patrols were being sent out and how many trolls were in each patrol. That would give him a rough estimate of how many troops were left in the base, which would be better for deciding how many teams to assign to it, and now he was devoid of that particular resource.

It was  _infuriating_. Karkat hadn't been careful enough, had gotten himself spotted somehow—and now he was seeing red, struggling to figure out how to work his way around the setback, and he wasn't sure what to do.

_I'll just have to send one of the pre-molt members over to check out the situation,_ he decided.  _The adults generally leave the kids alone, so they shouldn't be too worried if they see one looking in from a distance. Yeah…that's what I'll do. But in the time it takes one to get over there I'll have lost hours of precious information. Fuck._

It was the best he could do. He opened up his chat client and fired off a message to one of his allies that lived not too far away, asked them to head over to the military base and keep watch, and received a response in the affirmative within moments.

Hopefully it would be enough.

Now that that was taken care of, he could deal with Karkat. He could deal with the  _idiot_ that had messed up his plan. It was a plan he didn't know about, sure, but that didn't stop him from feeling a deep, bubbling sense of caliginous hatred low in his gut. What a lovely coincidence—he hadn't had a good fight with Karkat in ages, and he'd just gone and ruined something big. What a  _perfect_  opportunity.

The door opened on the floor above the lab.  _Speak of the devil._

Sollux shot out of his seat and stormed for the elevator, punching the up button and stepping off once he reached the ground floor. Karkat was right there, just as he'd thought, standing with brown blood crusted over his sleeves and his hands and the hems of his pant legs. He was still holding his sickles, most likely not wanting to put them away while they were bloody.

"Hey," Karkat greeted with a grimace. Brown was streaked across his face, too, Sollux realized, flaking off a little when he shifted his facial muscles.

"Hey," Sollux echoed. He gestured at the sickles. "Looks like you had fun."

"I hardly think killing is  _fun,"_ Karkat spat irritably. He chucked his sickles down onto the ground and stepped over them. Blood was getting all over the ground. "And I  _especially_ don't think killing is fun when I'm doing it for someone that won't even tell me  _why!"_

"You don't need to know," was the answering snarl. "All you need to do is trust me."

"If you're making me kill for you, I should fucking know why!"

"Yeah?" Sollux closed the space between them and glowered down at his kismesis. "Just how bad do you want to know?"

"Enough to fucking  _kill_  you!"

"Enough to try to beat it out of me?" Sollux rumbled.

Karkat leaned toward him and returned his leer, bristling with tension as he spat out, "If that's what it comes to."

_Oh_ , yes. He could work with this. "Try me."

For a moment, Karkat just glared. His entire body was drawn tight with tension, coiled and ready to snap, and Sollux had a little more than a second to worry that maybe he'd pushed him too far before there were claws at his throat and feet kicking at his shins and teeth slashing over his chin, and Karkat was throwing himself at him with fervor.

This was different. The physical moves themselves hadn't changed, as Sollux dodged to one side and cracked a fist down on Karkat's back, as Karkat hit the ground for a split second before pushing himself up and lunging for his stomach. But still, something was  _off._ Karkat looked more serious than usual, was slashing at him with intense focus.

Sollux yelped as a claw caught his cheek and yellow blood sprayed the air. He lashed out in return, heard Karkat's answering shriek as he snagged his wrist and threw him to the ground. His horns clicked off the tile. It sounded painful.

He opened his mouth to ask Karkat why he was so serious, why he was  _actually_ going for blood, but he was cut off as the mutant lunged again, then again, turning into a whirlwind of sharp points and jagged fangs, catching Sollux first along the jaw and then along the collar, tossing him into the wall.

"Ow!" Sollux protested. "KK, what's gotten into you?"

Karkat just growled, a low rumble deep in his throat, and  _oh yeah,_ something was wrong. His eyes were dark, dangerous, paranoid.  _Deadly._  Sollux wondered if he was seeing how what those guards had seen in their final moments before Karkat had neatly removed them from existence.

Sollux had to throw himself to one side as Karkat shoved his claws into the wall where his head had been one moment prior. "KK!"

Karkat kept going, though, and Sollux hissed in pain as he felt a cut tear itself into the flesh beneath his blue eye.

_Okay, that's it._

He reached out the next time Karkat's hand came down and sealed his fingers around his wrist, yanking it above his head. Then he did it to the other wrist, holding it up as well, and when Karkat could do nothing but kick and screech with frustration, he flipped him and pinned him firmly to the ground.

Relieved, Sollux huffed out a breath. "KK," he said again, "what's going on with you?"

"Let me up!" was the response, the smaller troll writhing beneath his captor with almost painful fury. "I'm going to  _win,_ goddamn it, and then you're going to tell me the truth!"

He stared. "KK, if you wanted to know this badly then you should have just  _told_ me how serious you were! Fuck, don't take my eyes out over a little miscommunication!"

"It's not just that!"

"What?" Sollux leaned back a little, giving Karkat some space. "What do you mean? What else is there?"

Karkat looked away. His cheek pressed against the bloodied tile. "Look…while I was at the base, I heard some guards discussing some kind of rebellion that's been gaining strength lately."

Oh.  _Oh shit_.

"He said that their attacks were fucking  _escalating_ , and that they were thinking about sending in a squadron from the fleet to help deal with it."

Sollux's stomach lurched. Really? They were considering sending a squadron? His plan was going to  _work?_

"Sollux," Karkat growled, straining up against him, "tell me that they weren't talking about  _your_  rebellion. Tell me that there's not some hidden underground that you're not telling me about, and that you haven't been lying to me. Tell me that you're not an  _idiot_ , and that there really are only a dozen members and not hundreds.  _Tell me_ that they weren't talking about  _you_."

He sat up, but didn't release Karkat's wrists. Then he leaned in, kept his voice low and even, made direct eye contact, and said, "Karkat Vantas, I swear to you that this rebellion of mine is no larger than you, AA, and a few other boneheads that need a whole lot of training to get anything right. There's no way that those guards were talking about me because we haven't done anything more than observe and snatch a few drones. I promise." It stung a little, lying to him, because  _yes_ it was him they were talking about,  _obviously,_ but what else was he supposed to do? Let Karkat find out and flip his shit? Leave him forever over a misunderstanding?

No fucking way.

Karkat glared. "You really promise?"

"I promise."

For a heartbeat longer, Karkat just snarled up at him. But then he seemed to deflate just a little, taking his word for it and agreeing, "Okay. Thank you."

"You're welcome,  _geez._ Maybe next time just say something instead of trying to gut me?"

He received a tiny smirk in response. "Oh, you didn't like that?"

"Maybe a  _little_  bloody, but—hey!"

Karkat flipped them in a heartbeat and managed to get his legs around Sollux's waist. "If I find out you're lying to me, I'll rip your fucking throat out. He leaned down and clenched his fangs lightly over the psionic's jugular for emphasis. "Got it?"

Sollux felt a tremor tear through him. Karkat could be  _fierce_ when he wanted to be. "Yeah," he rasped, "got it."

Karkat hummed against him. "Good. Now, you're just going to lie there and I'm going to get some of my fucking  _absurd_ frustration out."

Oh, hell  _yes—_ but if they were doing this, then there was no way that Karkat was going to have his way.  _He'd_ messed up,  _he_ was going to pay the price. "Eheh, nice try, KK." He hooked a leg around Karkat's waist and rolled.

"Fuck—Sollux!" Karkat hissed as his shoulder blades were ground rather roughly into the floor. "That fucking hurts!"

Sollux pushed down on him harder, reveling in the answering groan. "Yeah? Well you're the one that messed up the mission, so  _deal with it."_

Karkat shuddered. "Not my fault," he murmured, but even as he said it he was pushing his head up and tilting his chin slightly down, displaying his horns. It was probably meant to look aggressive, but seeing such nubby little horns turned his way just made Sollux purr with laughter.

'That supposed to be threatening?" he jibed.

"Fuck you!" Karkat growled. He thrashed, bucking up in an attempt to throw Sollux off of him, but he was hopelessly pinned. "Get off me!"

"Is that really what you want, KK?" Sollux waggled his eyebrows suggestively, reached down and thumbed over the tip of one horn. It wasn't enough to trigger the submission reflex, seeing as the nerves required for that were located in the bases, not the solid keratin of the actual horn, but it was enough to get Karkat to growl up at him in warning. "Ooh, fierce."

Karkat strained up against him yet again, and  _oh—_ yeah, he was into this. He could feel it, feel  _him,_ squirming against his inner thigh. It had been so long since they'd had a good round, so long since they'd done anything but bicker and flail at each other and swat each other away when things got too heated, and Sollux was  _not_ letting this opportunity go. And based on the way Karkat was snarling, low and deep in his throat, he was on the same page.

_I hope the rebels can handle things on their own for a few minutes,_ Sollux thought.  _Because there's no way in hell I'm stopping now._ He let go of Karkat's horns in favor of sliding his hands down to his hips, hooking a few fingers into his waistband.

"Sollux!" Karkat hissed, eyes widening. "Not here! The ground is fucking hard, and I'm covered in blood, and—"

Sollux yanked purposefully at his pants. "Perfect."

"Wha—hey!"

Sollux knocked his head back against the ground with a single hand wrapped around his right horn. Sneered down at him, lips pulling back over his fangs.

Then he surged forward and Karkat surged up, and everything faded into an intense blur of  _want._

It was quicker than he would have liked. Both of them were pent up, and Sollux found his vision starting to bleed white the instant Karkat's claws hooked in the flesh over his shoulders and  _dragged_ downward. He didn't even have the mental agility to keep track of who was doing what to which one of them as bloody wounds were ripped into his back and teeth sealed against his throat and legs kicked and arms flailed and the taste of blood blossomed across his tongue and flesh parted between his claws like water parted by a blade, and it wasn't long until everything was just warm and fuzzy and  _black,_ Karkat writhing beautifully beneath him as clothing was torn from his body and cast off in all directions.

Then Karkat was completely naked, spread beneath him with his hair lying limp around his head like some kind of dark halo, and the two paused just briefly to stare at each other.

"Take your fucking clothes off," Karkat snapped, but his voice was slurred slightly with want.

Sollux leaned in close with a nasty, smug leer. "No."

Karkat's eyes went wide. "What?"

"I said  _no_ , KK, unless you're too pan-addled to understand even the  _simplest_  fucking concept." Sollux leaned in and caught him in a searing kiss.

"Then what are you—?"

Sollux slid his hand down, Karkat choked on a moan, and time blurred as everything melted into a single, blinding moment. Sollux just about lost his mind as he reacquainted himself with his partner's body. There were fingers sliding into his scarlet nook and a hand wrapping around his similarly hued bulge, and Sollux couldn't help but lean his head forward and soak up all of the delicious sounds slipping from between Karkat's lips. It wasn't enough, though, would never be enough, and Sollux almost gave up his little power play then and there. But no—he had to make a point, wanted to  _dominate_ Karkat until he could never look him in the eye again without remembering it—and so he reached down and undid his belt, shoved his pants down to mid-thigh, and pressed up against Karkat with a low rumble.

Karkat glared back at him. He understood completely, knew the power of Sollux having him spread out naked and helpless beneath him while he was still completely dressed, and he  _hated_ it. He hated it so much and so visibly that it made Sollux's skin crawl when he sealed a hand to the back of his neck and pressed his head to the ground, flipping him onto his stomach and keeping his hips up.

"Fuck y—" Karkat started, ready to start snarling, but his words were cut off in a desperate noise when Sollux slid inside with a long, smooth stroke that left both of them gasping. It had been too long. It had been  _so_ long.

He wished he could have lasted longer. But as it was he was already high strung, and the way Karkat was writhing on his bulge was driving him hard and fast towards the edge. Karkat was rippling around him so beautifully, mouth hanging open, forehead pressed against the slick, bloodstained floor, hands scrabbling to hold onto something that wasn't there, and Sollux couldn't hold back a tiny gasp of his own as he whipped his bulge brutally within his kismesis. He was  _tight,_ and just a little warmer than him, and the contrast between them wasn't doing much to delay his climax. Those tiny, gasping chirps weren't helping either, unfortunately, and it wasn't long until Sollux gave one, harsh lash inside him and pumped him full of mustard-yellow genetic material.

"Sol…" Karkat moaned, twitching violently as he felt the flood of liquid. "N-no…no, please, don't stop!" His claws scraped against the ground as Sollux's bulge started to slide back into its sheathe.

"What did I tell you?" Sollux sneered, struggling to maintain his composure. He was nearly shaking from the exertion. "You messed up, so you have to  _pay."_

Karkat writhed weakly. When Sollux finally released him he fell onto his stomach, bulge writhing beneath him, nook pulsing with tremors that visibly shook his entire lower body. He was stretched out in a puddle of gold genetic material streaked through with rivers of the brown blood that was still dripping from Karkat's hands and face, little splatters of yellow crisscrossing his back and flecked over his shoulders and neck. He looked like a gorgeous wreck.

Sollux pulled up his pants and staggered to his feet, and Karkat whined, "Sol,  _please!"_

"Finish yourself off if you like," Sollux sniped at him. "I got what I wanted."

"Oh, you fucking  _asshole!"_

He leered down at him. Took a few steps forward. Reached out with a foot and pressed the toe of his shoe to Karkat's side, giving him a solid nudge. "You're disgusting. Clean yourself up."

Karkat rumbled a low, clicking growl as he pushed himself up on shaking arms. This wasn't an incredibly uncommon gambit between them, leaving each other bereft in a puddle of genetic material, and so Karkat was familiar with the practice of shooting Sollux the most vicious glare he'd ever seen—a promise of revenge, which was sure to be bitingly sweet when it finally hit.

In a moment of mercy, Sollux reached over and tossed Karkat's soiled shirt over to him. Then he turned, ignoring the furious, desperate warble emanating from the wrecked troll behind him, and stepped back into the elevator.

* * *

 

Late into the night, Sollux looked over the messages from the rebel team leaders.

Everything had gone well. The raids had been successful. His rebels had managed to take out all electronics in all three compounds (though they would probably be fixed by morning), and his troops had managed to slip right inside and do some damage. There hadn't been many of them per compound, so  _really_  attacking hadn't been an option, but there  _had_ been enough to sneak into the armory and snatch up a good amount of weapons for later use. It was a statement. A  _loud_  statement, actually, telling the Empire that they were  _there,_ that they were  _organized,_ and that they were getting strong enough to do some real damage. Hopefully this would prompt the Condesce to send a squadron, and then that squadron could be attacked. They'd steal their uniforms, their weapons, and then begin their plan of infiltrating the Empire. And after that…

They'd win. Sollux would make  _sure_  they won.

But first, he had to make sure that there was actually a squadron coming.

He opened his computer and fired off a message.

* * *

 

A series of hollow thuds, deep and wrenching, broke the air as a tall, thin troll moved through the halls of the Empress's flagship. He'd been summoned despite the late hour, commanded to report to the Condesce for orders. Apparently something had happened back on the homeworld. Trolls all over the ship were up, buzzing about it as he swept past them.

He nodded to a few officers as he neared the Condesce's throne room. There were a ton of troops swarming around outside, no doubt waiting to hear about what had happened on Alternia, but  _he_ didn't have to wait for a moment. He pushed past all of them and punched a code into the door to let himself in.

The doors slid open, then closed, and then he was standing at the beginning of a long, wide carpet that stretched right across the room to encircle the most elaborate throne that could possibly have been built with their resources. It was a hulking thing, gold with fuchsia gemstones laid into the backrest and the armpieces. It was perfect for the Condesce.

And speaking of the Condesce,  _there she was._

The shock of being in her presence had worn off by now. He walked down the carpet with his shoulders set straight and his head held high, fins only twitching a little in his nervousness, and he dropped to one knee once he reached the throne. "Empress," he greeted stoically.

"Fins," she drawled with a smirk that revealed all of her razor-sharp teeth. "There's somefin goin' on with Alternia."

"Yes," he agreed calmly, "I heard." Then he just waited, not wanting to push.

The Condesce cocked her head. Clicked her claws against the armrest of her throne. "Don't know if you heard, but it looks like there's nothin' short of a rebellion startin' up back home."

His eyes went wide. "A rebellion? Really?"

"Reel-y. You know anyfin aboat it?"

He shook his head immediately. He knew why she'd be suspicious, given his past, but he'd done nothing but serve her loyally for four sweeps now. There was no reason to doubt him. "I don't. Do you?"

"Of course I do!" she snapped. "I just got a transmission from Alternia, an' they've just been hit at all three compounds at once! They're rebellin' again, for the first time since the Sufferer, and we've got to put 'em down before they get too big for their own good." She leaned forward. "That's why you're here."

A  _rebellion_. This hadn't happened since his ancestor had walked Alternia, hundreds of sweeps ago. If there was really some kind of uprising starting up…

"Don't you think the on-world military will serve the purpose of takin' them out? I mean, it was just a small raid. They're not strong enough to—"

"Fins,  _fins_ —so narrow minded! That's just what they want us to think. Build their strength, send little squadrons here an' there, all the while hidin' their true power until it's too late for us to stop 'em. No. That won't be happenin' this time."

He cleared his throat. "Empress, what exactly are you askin' me to do?"

"That should be obvious, fins. You're the Vice Admiral."

His heart leapt in his chest as he realized that maybe, just maybe…

"I want you to take a squadron an' go back to Alternia. Put the uprisin' down, or at the very least capture someone who knows what's goin' on. You understandin' me?"

_I'm…going home?_ He stared up at her in shock, barely managing to nod and rasp out, "Of course, Empress."  _Back to Alternia. Back to…back to_ him.

The Condesce nodded approvingly. "Good luck, fins. Don't let me down."

"I won't." His voice was shaking, and he prayed that she couldn't hear it. He turned, entire body thrumming with anticipation, and started back down the pathway.

He was going back.

Back to Alternia, and back to the place where he'd lost Karkat forever.


	4. The Upper Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eridan pokes around Alternia, setting himself on the first part of an inevitable collision course with someone he believes to be dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last week of buildup, I swear. The action hits next chapter, and I can't wait! Get ready for some spicy plot development. (Also I finally figured out how to make the line breaks stop looking so strange! I swear, my computer doesn't get along with this site.)
> 
> This week's chapter is Stories From Elsewhere part one: The Upper Sky, by Rhian Sheehan

"I was thinking of getting a piercing," Karkat said, pressing his right earlobe between two fingers and peering at Eridan in the mirror. "Right here, in my ear. What do you think?"

Eridan came up behind him, blinking in surprise. "A piercin'? Really, Kar?"

He looked back at his matesprit with a pouting frown. "What, you don't like it? I thought you'd  _enjoy_  watching me walking around in  _your_  blood color."

"My blood color?" His breath hitched as if he hadn't really considered the ramifications. "Like…somethin' in purple?"

" _Yes_ , you idiot!" he snapped, but it was only half serious. "I'm not a moron, obviously, I can't go to an actual place to get it done since I'll bleed everywhere. I'd have to do it myself, or—"

"Or…I could do it?" Eridan asked shyly.

Karkat smirked. "If you're into that, then yeah, I guess you could stab a needle through my ear. Want to pick out the design of the earring, too?"

" _Yes_ ," Eridan said, as if it were the most important thing in the world. "God, yes. Is it really all up to me?"

"Just make sure it's nothing flashy, okay?" Karkat requested. He knew how extravagant Eridan could be, decked out in fancy rings and elegant jewelry, and he didn't want anything that would draw too much attention to himself.

Eridan nodded vigorously. "I can do that!" He drew back with a bright smile, no doubt already scheming. "And if I do you, can you do me?"

"You…" Karkat gulped. "You want me to give  _you_ a piercing too?"

"Well, yeah!" Eridan turned his head to display one ear, then the other, both already covered with little studs of metal and glittering gemstones. There wasn't much free space, but there was enough. "Wherever you like. Doesn't have to be my ears."

Karkat sucked in a deep, shaking breath at the thought of sinking a needle into somewhere else on Eridan's body. His grubscars or his gills, maybe. "Okay," he managed, "yeah. I think I'd really like that."

Eridan gave a chirp of excitement and grabbed onto him so tight he thought he'd burst, and for a moment everything was perfect.

 

* * *

 

It was late in the afternoon two days later when Eridan Ampora finally docked his ship at the military base closest to the main Alternian city, dragging along with him the squadron of ten soldiers the Condesce had requested he bring along. It was a small team, but this was a small rebellion. Hopefully they'd be in and out.

He exchanged a few polite words with the general of the main military base on Alternia, who had come out to greet him, but his mind wasn't on the conversation. He was more worried about where he was and what he was doing, not exchanging pleasantries and keeping up appearances.

He had mixed feelings about being on Alternia. He…didn't have a good history with this place. The last time he'd been here he'd betrayed all his friends and left to join the Condesce, after all.

It hadn't been an easy decision. But what else was he supposed to do? He could still remember the horror of going into adult molt and coming out a full-grown troll, realizing what that meant for him and not knowing what do to. The Condesce had come for him almost immediately after. He was Dualscar's dancestor, and therefore she would have no one else as her second in command. He'd been  _meant_ to serve Feferi, he  _knew_ that—but once she'd lost to the Condesce and his friends had been put down, he hadn't had much of a choice but to go along with the Empress. He would have been killed otherwise.

Unfortunately going to join the Condesce didn't just mean leaving Feferi, it meant leaving someone much more important to him.

He'd had to leave Karkat.

He…still couldn't quite bring himself to think about it for very long. There had been that last, horrible night, where he'd held Karkat close and Karkat had held him and Eridan had just let himself cry, knowing that when morning came he was going to have to leave Karkat behind forever. He'd never told him that he was leaving. He couldn't stand to see the pain, the betrayal in his matesprit's eyes when he figured out that he was going to serve the Empress. When morning came Eridan had woken up, given Karkat a last, lingering kiss, then left without waking him.

"I'll make sure you don't die," Eridan had told his unconscious form before he left, voice thick with tears. "I'm the Vice Admiral now; I'm sure there's something I can do to help you." But then he'd gotten to the Condesce, started working for her and doing whatever he could to cement his place at his side, and he knew that helping Karkat wasn't going to be possible.

He knew. He knew that the instant he tried to help a mutant on the homeworld, the Condesce would slaughter him and move on. And as much as he loved Karkat, he was still a coward. He was a coward who was afraid of losing his life, and even if it tore his heart out whenever he thought of his matesprit suffering on Alternia, he couldn't bring himself to show the courage necessary to make an attempt at saving him. He was a coward, good and simple, and there was nothing he could do about it. He'd probably never deserved Karkat in the first place.

He'd kept his eye on the records of the career assignment drones for a long time after he left. When Karkat went into adult molt, the drones would either show up and assign him a career, or they would kill him. Either way, the records would be logged for Eridan's consideration. He watched them constantly for Karkat's name to pop up.

And then, one day, it did.

_Karkat Vantas,_ the records stated, and his heart lurched with horror when he read the words that followed.  _Went into adult molt on the fifth lunar cycle of the third perigee. Eliminated due to mutation of the hemochrome._

He'd been devastated. His matesprit was dead, slaughtered by the drones, and he hadn't even been there to hold him in the end.

He had nothing else to live for.

After that, he'd thrown himself into his work. He'd lost contact with all of his friends in the wake of Karkat's death and just done his best to serve the Empress. He knew that he should have hated her, seeing as her reign was the cause of Karkat's death, but…he just  _didn't._ He didn't feel anything anymore, other than a deep, terrible hatred for anything that got in his way. And right now, the rebellion was  _getting in his way._

He wanted to do this fast. Being on Alternia was going to be hell for him, seeing as there were so many of his old haunts here, so he just wanted to wipe out the rebellion and be on his way.

So. It was time to get started.

"Change out of your uniforms," Eridan snapped at his squadron. "I want you in civilian clothing so you don't alert any of the common folk that you're here. After that I want you to search the area. This base was hit hardest of the three, so we can assume that the rebel headquarters, or at least the leader, is around here in the main city. Report back if you find anything."

His team gave gruff nods before heading off to the base to get changed. They were good trolls, most of them powerful bluebloods, but he didn't want to cart them around the city. He'd change and go looking around himself.

So that was what he did. He changed, and he went.

When he got there, he realized that Karkat's home had been destroyed—and of  _course_ it had, because it had been three sweeps and the space was needed for other trolls. But still, standing in the street and looking up at the new house that had replaced his matesprit's made his stomach drop. He'd hoped, silly as it may have been, that a little piece of Karkat was left over.

He was such a fool.

Eridan stepped away from the house and forced his feet to carry him further along the street. He couldn't look at Karkat's old house anymore. He was here on a mission, after all. Find the rebels, put them down. Or at the very least get his hands on someone who knew what was going on and interrogate them.

His communicator dinged, and he looked down to see yet another report from his underlings. No one had found any sign of the rebels yet. They were well hidden, whoever they were, and shockingly good with technology. Not even the best technicians in the Empire had been able to figure out how they were communicating while staying off the grid, especially since they were  _obviously_ using computers to talk to each other. Somehow they were masking the signals they were sending to each other. No one knew how.

In short, they were good.  _Very_  good. It was as if they only existed while they were in the midst of an attack, slipping back into the shadows to live their normal lives once all was said and done.

So it was a challenge, then. He could handle that.

Eridan trekked along the streets, sweeping his eyes from side to side as he moved. He had a feeling that these rebels were using some kind of underground  _something,_ because reports had included descriptions of adult trolls among the rebels. Any adult trolls that were on world and not a part of the military were runaways, those who had managed to evade the drones and go into hiding, and the only place you could hide on Alternia was under the streets or out in the ocean. And he had a strong feeling that none of the rebels had gills to help them hide in the water. Everywhere he looked he was searching for seams in the earth, places where dirt had been disturbed, anything that would hint at an underground fortress. But still he found nothing, and the longer he looked the more disheartened he became.

Still, this was his job. He hadn't let the Condesce down yet, destroying entire solar systems and executing world leaders and slaughtering everyone in his path, and he didn't intend to start failing his missions now. He would do this, no matter what.

It just might take a while. That was all.

 

* * *

 

"Sollux!" a familiar voice sounded, a flicker of red appearing in the doorway of the lab. "I have news!"

Sollux looked up from where he was hunched over a drone. He was still struggling to reprogram it no avail. He'd been working all night since leaving Karkat wrecked on the floor of the entrance hall; he hadn't even gone out to check that he'd gotten home okay.

"AA," he greeted finally, giving his psionics a rest from working on the fried wires. "What's going on?"

"You were talking about trying to get a squadron on world, right?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Well…" She flew forward and held out her communicator for Sollux to look at. "Read this."

He did. It was nothing special—a notice to all on-world military members, talking about random things like dining hall hours and moving the curfew up a little. He was just about to open his mouth and ask why he was reading the thing when he spotted the last paragraph, barely a few sentences at the end of a giant scrawl of uselessness.

_Be aware that there will be an off world squadron arriving from the Empress' flagship tomorrow at dawn. They are here to investigate the attack that was launched on this base yesterday, and the leaders of this establishment expect your full cooperation. The Vice Admiral will be among them, so if_ anyone  _steps out of line there will be hell to pay._

His mouth went dry. The Vice Admiral? As in…?

"Got a little more than you bargained for, didn't you?" Aradia asked tensely. "Maybe this was too much too fast, really trying to attack the military like you did."

Sollux read the message again. Then he read it again, hardly able to believe it. "The Condesce—she just— _sent_ the Vice Admiral here, like—?"

"I'm sure she believes  _Eridan_  will be able to put an end to this quickly," Aradia said. "They arrived this morning, just as promised, and they've been sent out in civilian clothing to search the streets."

Sollux sucked in a harsh breath. "Oh, fuck. If KK finds out…"

"I'm sure Eridan will already be looking for him," Aradia pointed out. She took her communicator back. "Unless you plan to lock Karkat away out of sight, I'm not sure you'll be able to stop them from meeting."

"He thinks KK is  _dead_ , goddamn it!"

Aradia froze. "What?"

"He thinks he's dead," Sollux repeated. "It was a safety precaution, a way to make sure that no one ever noticed that a couple of trolls went missing after their adult molts. I hacked into the Empire's database and inserted both my name and KK's as trolls that had been killed due to mutation. It was just meant to make sure that no one ever thought anything strange of it, nothing more, but I'm  _sure_ ED was keeping track of the records for when KK either ascended or ended up dead. He knows for sure. He won't be looking."

"It's a master plan," Aradia said, "until something goes wrong and Karkat realizes what you did! You're already lying to him so much, Sollux, and I'm  _worried_ about you! If Karkat finds out that you manipulated the records and made his matesprit think that he's dead, then I'm not sure what he'll do!"

"ED's not his matesprit!" Sollux snapped. "Fuck, he just ditched KK in the middle of the night! He left to join the Condesce and didn't even say a fucking thing to the person he supposedly pitied the most!"

"Sollux—!"

He cut her off with a low snarl. "I've been waiting for a long time to give ED a piece of my mind. And now that he's here, I'm going to tear his fins off his pointy face and feed them to him."

"You  _can't_ , he's the Vice Admiral! We're trying to take things slow, and if you slaughter the Condesce's second in command then she'll lash back with full force! The instant she deems us enough of a threat to show up herself, we're  _ruined_  unless we've gained enough power in the military! And as it stands right now, we don't have  _any_  power."

Logically, Sollux knew she was right. But his head was spinning with hatred, the kind that wanted him to go out and rip Eridan's head off and put him six feet under, and all he could think about was finally taking his revenge. "I have to kill him, AA."

"You  _can't,"_ she said again, voice soft. "Please, Sollux, listen to me!"

"I'll  _slaughter—!"_

She stepped forward and reached up, sealing her palms against his cheeks. "Sollux,  _shoosh."_

"But—!"

_"Shoosh,"_ she repeated, patting at his cheeks and pressing close and reaching up with one hand to rub around the base of one of his smaller horns. "Shh, Sollux, everything is going to be okay."

His knees went just a little weak. He was still angry, still practically foaming at the mouth in his desire to make Eridan  _pay_ for everything he'd put Karkat through, but Aradia's gentle murmurs were slowly starting to help just a little.

"Sollux," she whispered, slotting her head up under his chin as she tugged him in for a hug. "It's my job as your moirail to make sure that you don't do anything stupid. I know I can be hard on you, but this time I  _really_ can't stop pressing this until you understand. You  _cannot_ attack Eridan. You cannot kill him. If you want to take out the squadron, then I encourage you to do so—but killing or harming the Vice Admiral at this stage in the rebellion will be suicidal. The Empress will swoop down from on high and slaughter us like animals, and it will all be over."

Sollux opened his mouth to respond, but a pair of fingers stroking along his cheek sent his mind buzzing off in a chorus of white noise.

"Please don't kill this rebellion because of your inability to let go of the past," Aradia breathed against his throat. "Please, listen to me.  _Trust_  me."

He choked on a breath. "How else am I supposed to attack the squadron, with him as its leader?"

"I'll lure him away. You can attack the Empire troops while he's gone."

His eyes went wide. "No. Not you."

"Don't worry, it will be easy. All I have to do is take one of the drones you trashed and drag it out into some backwater part of the city, away from any of the rebels. I'll call Eridan through military channels and let him know that I've found something, and make sure to tell him that it's something he can handle alone. He'll go there himself with maybe one other trooper to supervise, and while he's away you can attack his squadron without any risk that he'll be there to interfere."

"Won't it seem strange if you just call him and then his troops are attacked?"

"No, he's already told us that he expects us to contact him if we're out on patrol and see anything strange. If it makes you feel better, I'll plant the drone on one of my patrol routes and have my partner on guard call it in once we find it. He'll never connect me to the situation in any way."

Sollux hesitated. It was a good plan, and now that he'd calmed down a little he knew that Eridan couldn't be attacked until they were  _really_ ready for war, but still…

"Trust me," Aradia said again. "I'm your moirail—I feel like I'm entitled to that, at least."

She was right. "Okay, I…I guess I'll have to trust you on this. But be careful, okay? I'd have a hard time finding someone else to fill my pale quadrant if you died."

She smiled. "Don't worry. You just tell me when you want to launch an attack on his squadron, and I'll make sure the wrecked drone is in place."

"Yeah," he said. "I'll do that."

She offered him another smile, kissed him on the cheek, and then she was gone.

 

* * *

 

Something was wrong. Karkat could feel it.

He'd done everything in his power to make Sollux tell him the truth about the rebellion, and Sollux had done everything in his power to reassure him, but…something still didn't feel quite right about what had happened. Sollux had  _promised_ that the rebellion was no more than ten members strong, had  _promised_ that he wasn't the one that was coordinating the attacks that the guards at the military compound had been so worried about. He'd  _promised._ But now all three military bases had been raided on the same night, and Karkat was finding it hard to trust his kismesis.

He hadn't found out about it until hours after it had happened. After Sollux had left him lying in a puddle of blood and genetic material, he'd just barely had the strength to pry himself up and stagger off down the tunnels that would get him back to his home. He'd left the mess on the ground for Sollux to clean up.

When he'd gotten back to his hive, Gamzee had been waiting.

"Karkat" he'd gasped in shock, taking in Karkat's stained clothing and the pair of bloody sickles dangling at his sides, and the fact that he'd used his full name spoke volumes about how stunned he was. "Brother, what the motherfuck  _happened_ to you?"

"Don't want to talk about it," he grumbled in return. Sollux's genetic material was crusting into his skin, he hadn't gotten off so his bulge was still writhing around against the inside of his pants (his boxers had been shredded so he'd left them for Sollux to deal with), and he was beginning to really feel the need for a shower.

Gamzee mirrored his movements as he started to head for the bathroom. "Karbro, hey, wait! Really, you gotta up and motherfucking tell me what happened!"

"Sollux was an ass, end of story," he said. "Let me take a shower and I'll get back to you."

Gamzee tried to say something in response, but Karkat brushed right past him. He was  _not_ going to have a jam with his moirail while he was covered in his kismesis' genetic material. And besides, he had a feeling his wiggly would make things awkward during cuddling unless he could get it to go away.

He darted up to the shower and cranked on the water, then striped himself of his dirtied clothing. His pants were in tatters and his shirt was so soaked with yellow that he doubted he'd be able to wear it again. He chucked the garments into a corner so he could burn them later. After that he wasted no time in jumping into the shower. He cranked the water to its coldest setting and directed the stream straight at where his bulge was writhing across his stomach, searching for contact. Thankfully the cold water worked its magic fast, probably due to his high body temperature, and soon his bulge was chased right back into its sheathe. He was still a little frustrated, still a little aroused, but he could wait until the next time he ran into Sollux.

It was difficult—in normal trolls, the body would stop producing when the genetic material sacs were full and there was no room for any more. But Karkat's fucked up mutations included the utter lack of the reflex that would stop producing material, and so his  _ridiculous_ body just kept pumping it out. Eventually the material built up, things got painful, and…yeah. It was a little awkward. It wasn't a  _heat_ , nowhere near that, but things could get a little tense when he was in pain and desperate. Sollux fucking  _knew_ that, used it to torment him to no end, and this time was no different. Things were already getting painful again, seeing as it had been a few weeks since he'd gotten to pail properly, so he'd have to find Sollux again soon.

But now wasn't the time, with his moirail sitting outside. With his lower half under control, Karkat began scraping at the dried genetic material crusted over his chest and shoulders. Sollux was an ass; he  _knew_ how long it took to get this shit off.

There was a knock at the door. "Karbro?"

He groaned. "Gamzee, come on! Just leave me alone for a few minutes?"

The doorknob rattled a little, then Gamzee's bright indigo eyes were peering at him through a crack in the door. "You okay in there? Need some help?"

He opened his mouth to snap, but hesitated as he remembered the material crusted onto his back. He couldn't reach it, and getting it off would be hell if he couldn't take his claws to it. He cleared his throat. "It…wouldn't be too weird if I asked you to help get this shit off, would it?"

Gamzee smiled and pushed the door open a little more. "That's what moirail's are up and motherfucking for, brother." He kicked the door closed behind him. "Mind if I keep my clothes from gettin' all kinds of wet?"

Karkat muttered something at him in the affirmative. His shower was large, and it wasn't like he hadn't been naked around Gamzee before.

Gamzee offered him the most blinding smile yet and shucked his clothing off to join him. "Hold on, Karbro, I'm gonna get all that crap off you." He climbed into he shower. "Turn around, brother."

Karkat presented his back to him. It still felt a little weird, letting himself be vulnerable around anyone at all, but he couldn't be grateful enough that Gamzee was a good enough moirail to help him. He could be kind of an idiot, but he was there when it really counted.

"I've got you," Gamzee hummed with surprising coherency. He rubbed a cloth up and down Karkat's back and wiped off as much of the material as he could, rumbling a comforting purr all the while. "Shit, Karbro, you gotta take better motherfucking care of yourself!"

"I'm trying," he muttered. "It's not my fault my blackrom partner is a shithead."

Gamzee gave a sad little sigh. He washed Karkat's shoulders, then his arms, then reached back to grab some shampoo for his hair. "Sit the motherfuck down, motherfucker, and let a brother up and take care of you."

He didn't have the strength to resist. He was exhausted, both from fighting with Sollux and worrying about the rebellion that he may or may not have been responsible for, and the promise of his moirail's support had him practically going boneless. He flopped down, Gamzee supporting him as he went, and ended up pressed back against the highblood's chest.

"There we motherfucking go," Gamzee purred happily. There was still shampoo pooled in his hands, and he raised his arms to start massaging the stuff into Karkat's hair. He received a chittering click in response—a happy sound. "You know, I was all  _kinds_  of ready to jam with you over gettin' motherfucking depressed about not bein' able to eat much sopor, but I'm thinkin' that maybe this session should be all about you."

" _That's_  why you came here?" Karkat murmured. "Oh—keep doing that, it feels good."

Gamzee chuckled and kept scritching at that same area of his head, right behind his left horn. "Was feelin' a little down, motherfucker. But you seem like you're up and havin' the most motherfucking  _terrible_ time right now. Why don't you tell me what's goin' the motherfuck on?"

Karkat tucked his chin to his chest as Gamzee moved his hands further back to get at the fuzz near the back of his neck. "It's the rebellion," he muttered. "Have you heard anything about it?"

"You mean the one that Solbro's up and leading?"

"Yeah…that one."

Gamzee shrugged. "Don't know much, brother. Ain't there about ten little dudes helpin' him out?"

"That's what I thought," Karkat said. "But I was doing some reconnaissance today, and I overheard a few guards talking about a rebel attack they seemed convinced was going to happen soon."

"Oh, you mean the one that went down last night?"

Karkat's heart dropped at the mere mention of it. The bases had been attacked on the same day Sollux had sent him to observe one of them, and couldn't be a coincidence. He dipped his head.

"Woah," Gamzee said, catching on a moment too late. "You're not thinkin' that Solbro went behind your back, are you? You think he up and sent some rebels to attack the bases?"

"Yeah," Karkat rasped. "I think I  _do_  believe that. But that would mean that there are way more rebels than we thought there were."

Gamzee's drawled, "Motherfucking  _miracles,_ brother. I wonder how many of those miraculous motherfuckers there are out there."

"Too many!" Karkat hissed. "Goddamn it, Sollux is already putting himself in danger with his ridiculous desire to take down the Empire, as if that's  _ever_ something that can happen, and if this is bigger than he's told me then it's a serious problem! He's going to get himself fucking killed!"

"Shoosh, Karbro," Gamzee rumbled, dragging his fingers over his horns and sliding them down to pat at his cheeks. "I'm sure Solbro has a wicked motherfucking explanation. You don't even know if he's really the one responsible, you know?"

Karkat calmed slightly as his moirail gave a comforting purr, the vibrations from it thrumming through him and undoing some of the knots deep in his chest. "I guess," he conceded, though he wasn't really convinced. He was going to have to talk to Sollux about this. Maybe he could let the fluid out of his genetic material sacs  _and_ get a real answer at the same time.

Gamzee hummed and pushed him forward to rinse the suds out of his hair. "Now, why don't you up and visit him tomorrow? For now, we can get into a pile and jam."

Nothing had ever sounded better. Karkat gave a murmur of assent, let Gamzee finish rinsing out his hair, then turned off the water and climbed out of the shower. He tossed his moirail a towel and wrapped one of his own around his waist to dry off.

They both tumbled into a pile once they were done, and it wasn't long until Karkat found himself surrendering to his dreams.


	5. Made of Stardust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sollux launches his most blatant attack yet, and Karkat gets caught in the crossfire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late, it's been a busy day! I promise I'll figure out hyperlinks for the song titles next time, but I'm exhausted so I'm just gonna leave this here. 
> 
> This week's chapter is Made of Stardust by Epic Soul Factory.

"You ready?" Eridan asked, looking down nervously at Karkat where he was stretched out on their shared bed. "It'll hurt, you know."

"I know," Karkat replied. "Just hurry up and do it; I want to see the design you chose."

"It's nothin' fancy," Eridan reminded him with a blush.

"Don't care, just stab it into my ear and be done with it. I'll do you later."

Eridan twiddled with the piercing he'd designed. He was obviously feeling a little out of his depth, but still he didn't back down. There was a needle between his fingers meant exactly for this purpose, and he leaned over Karkat with it in hand. He used his left hand to steady Karkat's head and get his right earlobe in a position that would let him pierce straight through it without struggle. "You ready?" he asked.

"Fuck, just do it!"

Eridan winced. Then he pushed forward, jabbed the needle into his matesprit's ear, and cleanly slid it out the other side after only a little struggle. Karkat groaned, twitched a little, but only a drop of his candy red blood leaked out. He took it well, and only hissed a little when Eridan cleansed it with a little antiseptic and slid the tiny purple stud right in.

"Ow," Karkat complained. "That fucking hurt!"

Another wince. "You…wanna see it?"

He held his hand out for a mirror. Eridan held it up for him.

Karkat turned his head from side to side, watching the way the piercing caught the light. "Purple crystal, huh?" he asked softly. "It's simple."

"Just like you wanted?" he said, though it came out as more of a question. He was even more nervous now, hoping that Karkat liked what he'd come up with.

"A little purple chip," Karkat murmured. He turned to Eridan, cocked his head, then offered him a rare, bright smile. "It's perfect, Eridan. It'll never come out."

Eridan let out a relieved whoosh of breath. "Thank god." Then he looked up shyly, asking, "Me next?"

Karkat scoffed and batted him upside the head. "Of course, you idiot. Get down here."

He scrambled to his side without hesitation.

 

* * *

 

 

Karkat didn't end up going to Sollux the next day. Or the next, or the next after that, or even the next after that. He was afraid to confront his kismesis, afraid to learn the truth and afraid of what might happen to their relationship if it turned out that he  _had_ been building a rebellion behind his back.

So instead, Karkat just stayed with Gamzee. It wasn't safe for the indigoblood to be away from his home for very long, seeing as he was watched so closely by the military, and so Karkat hopped right on over to his home by the ocean and stayed with him. He was careful to keep out of sight of anyone who might be looking in, and so he spent a lot of time in Gamzee's bedroom. It was a good way of distracting himself from the inevitable confrontation he'd have with Sollux sometime soon.

Gamzee had asked him a day or so ago whether or not he was being smart, avoiding Sollux. After all, while Karkat was moping the psionic could easily do something foolish, launch some kind of attack, and it would be over. And to that, Karkat had…kind of just sat there, actually. He knew Gamzee was right, and that if Sollux really was building his rebellion in secret, then it was entirely possible that such a thing would happen. But he was tired, tired of dealing with Sollux and trying not to spiral into depressive episodes over the whole miserable situation, and he just needed his moirail for a while.

Gamzee for his part was incredibly supportive. It was especially nice seeing as he didn't have to consume any sopor as long as Karkat was there to keep him calm. He was more lucid than normal, if a bit aggressive every now and again, and that meant that he was way better at shooshpaping him into submission whenever he started panicking over Sollux.

It was nice. It was really nice.

Eventually, though, he would have to leave.

Just…in a few more days.

 

* * *

 

Eridan had been on Alternia for a week, and there was no sign of any of the rebels.

It was as if they just didn't exist. Everywhere he looked, there was just  _nothing_. He was beginning to fear that he really  _would_ fail the Condesce this time. Still, though. He had a while longer before he would have to report to the Condesce, and he intended to do everything in his power to make sure that he found the rebels.

At least the trip wasn't a  _total_ loss. Apparently Aradia and Tavros were members of the on-world military, which meant that he'd been able to track the two of them down and talk for a brief moment. It had been a little nice to see some of his old friends again. Apparently Aradia was still flipping red and black all over the place with Equius, and Tavros was still red for Gamzee (who was also on-world, waiting to find a moirail before he could be shipped off to join the fleet). If he hadn't been so eager to find the rebels, he would have gone to see the rest of his friends that had remained on world in person. But he really needed to focus, and talking to Tavros and Aradia had already messed up his schedule, and so he kept working.

Days passed. Days and then  _more_  days, and he wasn't sure if he could do it.

_Where are you? Do these rebels even exist?_

Surely they did. And he was going to find them, no matter what.

 

* * *

 

A few days later, Sollux finally had his plan of attack down perfectly.

It would happen once the sun dipped below the horizon. Eridan had his squadron staying in a special barrack about half a mile off the main military compound, which was where they'd attack. Once the sun had gone down, he'd have Aradia slip away and bring one of the wrecked drones to a spot on her usual patrol path. He'd make sure that there was some kind of evidence that it had been wrecked by rebels, that way she wouldn't be suspected of foul play. After that he'd have her go on patrol like usual, taking her partner along with her. They'd come across the drone, radio Eridan and let him know, and hopefully the Vice Admiral would just go there without any trouble. That would leave his troops alone in their quarters (which were located slightly away from the main base, making them more vulnerable), and once that happened Sollux would launch an attack. He'd go there himself with a dozen of the best rebel fighters in order to quietly subdue the imperial troops. They'd kill them, steal their uniforms and weapons, and retreat. Sollux would handle the rest, sneaking some of the rebels onto Eridan's ship as it departed. After that, they'd have their agents on the inside and it wouldn't be too hard to spread the rebellion into the depths of space.

Karkat wasn't going to be a problem. He'd been staying with Gamzee, so he wouldn't even be around when the attack happened. With any luck Sollux would be in and out, and Karkat would never know he'd been in combat. Their kismesissitude could continue without a hitch.

Sollux glanced up, a sound from his right startling him. As it turned out, it was just the clock beeping to warn him that it was already time to call Aradia and set the plan in motion. More time had passed than he'd thought.

He picked up his communicator and established a connection. "AA?"

It took a long moment of nothing before she finally picked up, answering with a soft, " _Sollux?"_

"Yeah," he said, "I'm here. Do you see the time?"

There was a pause.  _"Is it time to go already?"_

"It is. Come back here and grab the drone, then drop it in the right place. Do you think you can get over here without anyone seeing?"

_"Of course I can. I'll be there in a few minutes."_

The line went dead, and Sollux was left to wait in tense silence. He was afraid that something would go wrong. In a fit of nervousness, he checked with the rebels he'd assigned to attack Eridan's squadron to make sure they were set to leave when scheduled. They were, of course, and soon enough Sollux was waiting in agonized anticipation as Aradia made her way over. He wasn't even going to  _see_ her; he'd left the drone outside the hatch on the street so she could just grab it and be off in as little time as possible.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Aradia sent him a message.

_Got the drone. Heading to the location now._

He could only pray that she made it there without being spotted. If she made even one mistake, got herself seen by one other troll, then their entire operation would be over. But she must have made it there safely, because about ten minutes later she was sending him another message that read,  _In position. I'll be heading out on patrol in exactly one hour, so be ready for me to send you the message when Eridan arrives. I'll keep you posted._

He sucked in a relieved breath. Aradia was safe, and the plan was moving forward smoothly. In one hour Aradia would go on patrol, maybe twenty minutes later she would contact Eridan, and soon after that he would go check out the felled drone. Then the attack could be launched, and the rebellion could move on to its next stage.

It was almost too good to be true.

Sollux forced himself to close his eyes, take a deep breath to calm himself down. He still had over an hour to go before he even knew if he could actually attack Eridan's squadron tonight. He needed to keep himself calm.

So that's what he did. For the next hour and then some, he took deep, calming breaths, and waited for Aradia's next message to come.

Finally, his communicator dinged.

_The Vice Admiral has been lured out. You're free to proceed; I will keep him occupied for as long as I can._

And just like that, the nervousness in his gut ramped up tenfold.  _It's actually time._ He couldn't believe it. He'd been waiting for three sweeps to get to this point, and he was  _finally here._ The rebels were finally strong enough to actually attack a real imperial squadron.

God, he hoped this went well.

Sollux pushed himself out of his seat and silently stepped into the elevator. Pressed a few buttons and clutched the railing as the thing shot to the ground floor and then one lower, spitting him out at a lobby that had about twenty different branching tunnels set up to take him wherever he needed to go. This was a secret place that Karkat didn't know about—you could only get here if you knew the code to get you to the basement, and Karkat didn't even know there  _was_ a basement—that Sollux had built to connect between the homes of members of the rebellion. It was a little dangerous, seeing as the instant someone discovered one tunnel they had access to everyone, but Sollux had his ways of making sure the entire rebellion wouldn't be compromised if that happened.

For now that wasn't important, though. All Sollux needed was to get through the tunnels and pick up the other trolls he'd selected for the mission. There weren't many of them—he couldn't risk drawing too much attention to this operation, not while it was actually happening—but those he'd selected were highly trained and deadly. He'd already sent them a message telling them what time to wait in the main tunnel so he could find them, so they should be there now.

It didn't take long walking through the dirt tunnels until he found the first rebel waiting.

"Ladcai!" Sollux called out. He raised a hand in greeting as he drew up beside the troll. He was one of the only other adults in the rebellion thus far, and someone he considered high up on the chain of command. He wasn't a mutant, but he'd still chosen to hide from the career assignment droids when the time came. He'd wanted to help the new Empress—i.e. Feferi.

Ladcai turned to him. Then he smiled, raising a hand as well, and called out, "Sollux, my man! Good to see you!"

"Yeah," Sollux agreed. It really had been too long since he'd gotten to see  _any_ of his rebel friends in person. After Karkat had started doing everything in his place, he hadn't been able to leave. "I heard you kicked some major ass during the attack on the military compound."

" _Major_ fucking ass," the troll grinned. He tossed his head, and his horns, long and thin, caught the light perfectly. "I rammed someone hard in the gut with these beauties."

Sollux crinkled his nose. Ladcai  _loved_ using his horns in combat for a reason that was beyond him. One wrong move and they'd just snap off, or someone would get their hands around the bases and put him on the ground in a heartbeat. The guy was a maniac.

"Come on," Ladcai said, gesturing to the tunnel. "I got a message saying that Drunia's waiting not far from here. Crolan's with her."

Sollux started off without hesitation. "Now  _there_  are two names I haven't heard in a while."

Ladcai shrugged. "They're the same as ever, man. Totally at each other's throats, but a good enough couple." He hopped over a crack in the earth. "Careful, don't fall! Anyway, who else do you have coming?"

"Just a few kids," was the response. "You, Drunia, and Crolan are the only adults I could get on the mission. You know Hearla?"

"The kid with the weird psychic thing?"

"Yeah, her. She's coming."

"Dude, dangerous! Aren't her powers like super unstable?"

"They're stable enough." Sollux looked up ahead. He could see a couple of dark figures waiting up ahead. "Farlan and Synlan are in on it too."

'The creepy twin dudes, huh?"

"They're not twins," Sollux said. "They just look kinda alike, and their names are…" He trailed off. "Well, okay, maybe they're a little creepy. And twin-like."

Ladcai smirked. But then his eyes went wide and he called out, "Hey! Drunia, Crolan!" He'd spotted the two figures just ahead.

"Cai!" Drunia called with an enthusiastic wave. "Whassup?"

Sollux rolled his eyes and promptly tuned out for the following conversation. He'd heard these three interact plenty of times before; he did  _not_ need to get caught up in their quadrant shenanigans. "Come on," he ground out when he thought Ladcai was about to shoot straight through the ceiling and ruin everything. "The others are waiting."

Things passed quickly after that. Sollux herded the three along the passageway like cattle, trying to ignore their collective bickering, and it wasn't long until he saw Hearla leaning against the wall.

"Hearla!"

Greetings were exchanged (okay, maybe  _she_ was just as creepy as the twins, what the fuck), and after that it was a matter of plucking the twins up before moving on towards the barracks.

"How many others are coming?" Ladcai asked. "That's seven. Not nearly enough to fight a squadron of ten trolls, especially when there are reports of them being bluebloods."

"Blood doesn't equal power," Hearla said softly, but Sollux talked right over her.

"We'll be picking up five more trolls. They'll be waiting near the exit to the final tunnel."

"Who are they?"

"Marlit's group."

"Oh! They'll be perfect!"

The group grew silent (thank god) as they neared the final tunnel. It would spit them out right next to the barracks currently being occupied by Eridan's squadron. They'd pop out, assassinate them without alerting the other members of the military, and slip right back into the tunnels.

"There's Marlit!" Drunia exclaimed excitedly as they neared the exit.

She was right. The last five members of their team were waiting, bringing them up to twelve strong. It wasn't ideal in terms of numbers, but it had been the best Sollux could do. They'd needed a small team, quick and agile and able to avoid making a ruckus, and these trolls were best for the job. They were also the ones he trusted most.

"Okay," Sollux said, "looks like that's it. You guys ready to kick some ass?"

He received a series of enthusiastic nods in response. These trolls were some of the original members of the rebellion—of  _course_ they were ready. They'd been waiting for nearly as long as Sollux for the opportunity to actually do something for the rebellion that  _mattered_. This would be their first real attack, and against an imperial squadron no less.

Sollux turned towards the hatch at the end of the tunnel and popped it open. Once they emerged, they'd fly into the camp with their metaphorical and literal guns blazing. There would be no going back. Hopefully the fact that their barracks were located off the main compound would mean that no members of the military noticed what was happening in time to stop them.

"Let's get going."

The hatch was pushed open, and the group emerged into the open air.

It was dark, just as Sollux had planned. The twin moons were still relatively low in the sky, not quite bright enough to make being seen likely but just enough to help them find their way to the barracks. They weren't far away from the tunnels.

"Remember the plan," Sollux growled as they got closer. "Kill them and drag their bodies into the tunnels. Send a message; leave no survivors. But if Vice Admiral Ampora shows up, then you  _run_. Don't wait for my order. If you see him, you sprint in the other direction as fast as you can and you don't look back. He'll kill you if he catches you, and  _we_ can't afford to kill  _him_  for fear of bringing the Condesce here too soon _._  Am I understood?"

He received a series of affirmative murmurs.

"Good." Sollux waved his hand towards the glow of the barracks. "In that case, I wish all you luck. Don't get killed."

"Don't get killed," they echoed back at him. It was like a mantra now, something they'd been saying to each other for the entire three sweeps they'd been together. Never had it applied more than it did tonight.

The team moved in. Sollux watched as Ladcai slid through the bushes and positioned himself perfectly to attack once everyone was in position, his horns angled down. Drunia and Crolan split and moved to opposite sides, flanking the building. Hearla's eyes glowed orange, and she vanished into nothing. Farlan and Synlan blinked and flickered, both appearing atop the building in preparation to drop down on whoever walked out. Marlit squared her shoulders and moved in without bothering with a bit of stealth. The remaining trolls crept forward silently.

For a long moment after that, there was nothing but silence. They were all waiting for something, though Sollux wasn't sure what—and then, suddenly, they weren't.

The barracks trembled with a massive shockwave, someone let out a roar of challenge, and just like that it was on.

Sollux lurched forward as the first of the imperial troops appeared at the entrance, looking confused. A troll with massive horns, unarmed for now. Sollux snagged him with his psionics and flung him into the center of the empty space that served as a sort of front yard for the barrack. Then he grabbed the next, the next, and soon he was yanking all of them out in a jumble of burning psionic energy.

After that, it was chaos.

Sollux had to shield his eyes as the bright flash of a plasma gun seared from the undergrowth, shooting one of the troops in the shoulder before any of them realized what was happening. That shot seemed to wake the imperial troops up, though, and they fell upon their aggressors with vigor.

Sollux flew into the clearing with a snap of energy and caught one of the troops across the throat, throwing him down just as Farlan appeared out of nowhere and tackled him with a vicious snarl. Synlan wasn't far behind, holding the troop down as his hatchmate raked his claws down his stomach, and the poor troll shrieked in pain as he was torn to shreds by the twins. Across the clearing Crolan was firing shot after shot with her plasma riffle, with Drunia moving like a whirlwind of steel and sharp points to keep anyone off who attempted to get near her. She fought with jagged disks, almost like records but with points, and they were deadly efficient.

The troops were still a little stunned, Sollux realized. They were still sleepy and a tad bit confused and struggling to regain their heads, but it wouldn't be long before they regained their wits and started  _really_ defending themselves.

"Take them out now!" Sollux ordered above the din of metal grinding off metal. "Before they really start fighting!"

No one responded, but he knew they'd heard him. Sollux threw himself back into he fray without question to follow his own orders, lashing out with his psionics and hooking another troll around the wrist. He yanked her forward, hissed as he was forced to dodge her fierce claws, and whipped around in an attempt to get at her back. She wasn't having it, though, and kept him firmly at her front.

"Filthy traitor!" she spat.

"Better than being a mindless grub," Sollux sneered in response. He ripped off his glasses and snarled, aiming his eye lasers at her, but she jumped to one side gracefully. He fired again, feeling the burn of it behind his eyes, and yet again she fled.

"Sollux, I've got you!" called a familiar voice. The next moment Ladcai was there, was charging at the guard like a bull with his horns lowered, and  _what the fuck,_ how did he manage to fight with those things? Sollux watched in shock as Ladcai slammed the sides of his horns into the guard's head, surprising her and making her yelp and leap back. He followed it up with a kick, a punch, a slash of claws across her cheek, before swiping those candy-corn monstrosities back at her. She was forced to flip back to avoid being gored.

Sollux snapped out of it when the guard's claws caught Ladcai across the nose, and immediately he lashed out and grabbed back onto the troll with his psionics. "Ladcai, take her out!"

The troll immediately snapped his head up and shoved forward. He caught the troll's wrists in one hand when she attempted to claw him, kicked her legs out from under her, and stabbed his horns into her chest with a sickening crunch. She choked, twitched once, and was still.

"Careful with the uniforms!" Sollux hissed. But he didn't have time to chastise the troll further, because he was already having to leap out of the way as a furious troll came charging at him. He barely managed to avoid the monstrous troll as he barreled by.

"Got it!"

Sollux felt a whoosh of energy before Hearla tore by, the tiny female troll latching onto the hulking guard and sinking tendrils of psychic power into his flesh. Marlit appeared behind her, swung her hammer, and the guard dropped to the ground.

_Two down,_ Sollux thought,  _and that's at least one working uniform. We can do this._

He turned his attention on the next trooper. He was a young, small troll, coming at him with sickles that reminded him far too much of Karkat's. "Die!" he screeched, and Sollux had to slam the little guy in the chest with an elbow to keep himself from doing just that. He followed it up with a slash to the leg, kicking at him and snatching away his sickles before once a shot from Crolan picked him off.  _Three. But that one was so young,_ too  _young to be a part of the fleet…_

Another cry of pain caught his attention, and he saw Drunia using those strange, circular discs of hers to slice another guard's head off without much struggle.

_These are the people Eridan chose to help him? They're fucking weak! No one's even putting up a good fight! What the fuck is this?_

There was the sound of another plasma blast, and another guard went down. But this time, Sollux noticed something was off.

_Oh, fuck._ That was a brownblood. Why did Eridan have a brownblood with him? Brownbloods weren't even  _allowed_ on the imperial flagship unless they were being used as slaves. There was no way he was a part of Eridan's troop. And the others…was that a rustblood, fighting Ladcai? And…an oliveblood?

The other members of his team seemed to realize the same thing at the same time, the exhilaration of battle fading into grim realization. Immediately the fighting drew to a halt, the remaining guards bristling and backing away in horror, and Sollux  _knew_ something was wrong. No one under Eridan's command would ever back down like that.

"What the fuck?" Drunia burst out, voicing Sollux's thoughts. "Why are you cowering? What kind of imperial troops shy away from a fight?"

A young male rustblood threw out an arm in front of one of the other guards as if he were afraid that they would continue to attack. "W-what are you t-talking about?" he stuttered. "We're not imperial troops, we're new recruits!"

"New recruits?" Ladcai breathed.

"Yes! We were ordered to stay in the barracks with the Vice Admiral's squadron to serve them," the same rustblood said.

"But…" Ladcai turned to look at Sollux, confused. "Where's the imperial squadron?"

Something crackled in the bushes. Sollux's stomach dropped.

Then something sealed around his neck and chucked him, some tendril of psychic power, and a squadron of ten hulking bluebloods crashed into the clearing with the intent to kill.

 

* * *

 

_Okay,_ Karkat thought,  _it's probably time to go deal with this thing with Sollux. It's been like a week._

He thought this mid journey via tunnel, headed back to his home. It  _had_ been more than a week, and staying any longer with Gamzee was probably pushing it. He didn't want to leave, but he was already risking being seen by the guards that were constantly watching Gamzee from afar. It was time to go home.

And maybe, it was time to go talk to Sollux.

He'd been putting it off long enough. He needed to know if Sollux was seriously leading a full-blown rebellion, and other than that his material sacs were starting to ache with buildup. He could put it off a week at best, but it was best that he get his revenge while he wasn't curled up in a ball in the midst of debilitating pain. Yes, now was the time.

Karkat continued his trek through the tunnels. He wasn't far from the exit that would spit him out in his kismesis' secret hideout. Soon enough he was there, and he pushed the hatch open and emerged out into the room where the entrances to the tunnels were hidden.

When he stepped out into the main hall and called for Sollux, he expected the psionic to appear in a matter of moments. It  _had_  been a week, after all. But all he heard was silence, his words echoing off of the walls and garnering no reply, and his stomach lurched with nervousness. He poked his head into the other rooms in search of him. But…there was nothing. Nothing in his bedroom and nothing in the kitchen and nothing  _anywhere,_ and when Karkat stepped into the elevator and descended to the lab he was met with a similar sight. Fucking  _nothing_.

"Where are you?" Karkat hissed furiously. He glared around the lab, and—

Huh. Hadn't there been two drones before? What had Sollux done with the other one? And…why was his computer on while he was away?

Karkat crept closer and prompted the computer back to life. He jumped in surprise when he saw that a chat client was up on Sollux's screen.  _Normally he's so careful to delete all of his online conversations. Why is this one still here?_ He raked his eyes down to the bottom of the conversation, and there it was: the command that would have deleted the conversation was typed out, had been executed, but had done nothing. Sollux had missed a single bracket. The entire command was useless, and it hadn't worked in the slightest. He must have been in a real hurry to make a mistake like that, or at least really nervous.

He shouldn't read through Sollux's conversations to figure out where he was. That would be prying.

…He was totally going to read through it.

Karkat scrolled to the top and started reading. It wasn't trollian—they'd abandoned that chat client long ago—but it was something else entirely, looking much more plain and easy to miss as something that was actually important.

**Ladcai: yo, Solcandy! we're Still going Through with The raid Tonight, right? What time Am i Supposed to Be waiting In the Tunnels?**

**Sollux: don't call me that, a22hole.**

**Sollux: we're meetiing when ii tell you iit'2 tiime, no 2ooner. waiit for my order2.**

**Ladcai: finally! You have No idea How long I've been Waiting for This, dude. Actually getting To attack An imperial Squadron is A dream Come true.**

**Ladcai: We're going To kick So much Ass.**

**Sollux: don't get overly exciited.**

**Sollux: thii2 ii2 2tiill going to be a battle, ju2t liike when you guy2 attacked the three compound2 on my order2.**

Karkat had to stop reading for a moment to just press his hands to his face, groaning. He'd been right. Sollux  _had_ organized those attacks, and this rebellion was a fuckton bigger than he'd been led to believe. How long had Sollux been lying to him? A sweep? Longer? Since the beginning?

**Ladcai: great! Thank god The imperial Troops are Staying in The barracks Away from The main Compound, right? Things would Be so Much harder With those Assholes running Around with Everyone else.**

**Sollux: yeah thank god**

That was all he needed to read. Karkat fixed the bracket and deleted the conversation without a word.

Sollux wasn't here. He wasn't here, and he was talking with this Ladcai person about going to attack the barrack that was 'away from the main compound.' Karkat knew exactly which one he was talking about, too. He'd kept watch over it often enough for his kismesis.

_He lied to me. The fucker actually fucking lied to me, and I just_ bought _it because I was so fucking desperate to believe that he was trustworthy. He's been playing me like a fiddle this whole goddamn time._

_Well_. Karkat knew where he was going, and he knew what he was doing. He could catch Sollux in the act, help him if he was in trouble (because fuck, he was still his kismesis, even if he'd lied to him and manipulated him and just generally been a dick, so it was his job to make sure he wasn't killed by anyone else other than him) and then beat the shit out of him when all was said and done.

He wanted to know the truth.

And if he wanted to know that, he had to go to Sollux and demand it.

Karkat turned, leaving Sollux's computer on and buzzing, and headed back for the tunnels with his sickles itching in his sylladex.

 

* * *

 

Things weren't going well.

Sollux panted, blood dripping from his mouth and the corners of his eyes as he was forced to strain his psionics to avoid being squashed like a bug. He'd been wrong. He'd been  _so_ wrong, thinking that he could take just twelve troops to deal with a squadron of the Empire's finest soldiers, and now his team was paying for it.

"Sollux!" Drunia shrieked at his back, the sound followed by a sickening thud and a low gurgle.

"Fuck!"

Sollux heard another yelp, a shriek of pain, then the sound of flesh connecting with flesh. He couldn't focus on that, though, not when he was leaping out of the way and struggling to keep himself from just keeling over and dying. The guard he was fighting was a hulking blueblood, and he was  _good._ He'd put Marlit down with a single blow, and several others of her group had followed.

Another scream. Then Ladcai was crying, "Dru, no!" before choking on a wail himself.

They weren't going to win. That much was obvious.

_Need to think up a plan…_  Sollux whipped his head from side to side. They  _had_ managed to get one of the guards down and wounded, but no one was killed and they  _needed_ those imperial uniforms. They had the trainee uniforms, which could be useful, but not a single one that they could use to sneak aboard the flagship.

Farlan went down in a spray of blood.

_Fuck,_ Sollux thought.  _That isn't important right now. Right now, I think…_

Synlan tried to dodge and was caught across the horns with a club.

_I think…_

Hearla choked on a breath as a soldier snatched her out of the air and crushed her beneath his foot.

_We need to run._

"Sollux, we can't do this!"

Ladcai had never been more right about anything.

Sollux raised his head and called out, "Run! Get out of here, all of you! Scatter!"

He knew it was useless before he even said it. He was pretty sure Marlit was unconscious, and no one would be able to help her with that fierce blueblood standing over her. Several of her team members (Sollux didn't even know their names) were similarly downed, dead or dying, and he didn't think anything could help them.

"What about Marlit and the others?" Ladcai asked, as if on cue.

Sollux felt a twinge of pain deep in his chest. "Leave them."

For a moment, Ladcai just stared. But then he nodded, eyes flashing with hurt, and he scooped up Drunia's limp form and dodged around a set of guards as he darted off into the night. No one was fast enough to catch him. Crolan wasn't far behind.

"Don't run, cowards!" one of the bluebloods screeched. She took off after the retreating rebels, and Sollux took the opportunity to slip into the undergrowth while they were distracted. As an afterthought he snatched up the bodies of the trainees with his psionics and hauled them towards the tunnels. He'd escape and take what uniforms he could get, then deal with the rest later. They wouldn't help them get onto the flagship, but…

He ducked down as two more guards roared and started chasing after Farlan and Synlan, who were struggling to escape with their injuries. Hearla shrieked and writhed as a guard hooked a hand in her hair.

_I might lose them all,_ Sollux realized as he unlatched the hatch and moved the bodies inside. But there was no time to mourn, not while he himself was in danger. He'd failed, and it was time for him to retreat and lick his wounds and desperately pray that the others were okay.

He slid into the tunnel and was gone.

 

* * *

 

Karkat finally drew within range of the barracks Sollux had described to Ladcai a few hours later, and expected to hear the most intense battle of his life going on just inside. He expected to hear screams, see blood spraying, be thrown into a horrid battle.

But that wasn't what he found.

When he crept close, keeping to the shadows just in case, there was no battle. What there  _was,_  was a bloodbath.

Karkat had to cover his mouth to keep from gagging as he found the bodies of five trolls spread out before him. One was a large, hulking female, three were average males, and one was a tiny girl. One of the males was dead. The rest seemed to be breathing. All of them were just as blood-soaked and wrecked as the clearing around them.

"Hey," Karkat whispered, slipping into the clearing once he was sure that no one was around. He leaned down and shook the smallest troll. "Hey, are you awake?"

The little troll gave a tiny whimper. She was awake, but badly injured.

"Oh, fuck," Karkat rasped. "I don't know how to handle this." He looked around for Sollux, hoping he was here. But there was nothing, and he couldn't help but wonder what was going on. Why were there these five trolls just lying here? Why were there no guards? Where was his kismesis?

The little troll groaned again, and her eyes slit open just a fraction. They were bright, bright orange, and Karkat stared in wonderment.

"Are you okay?" he repeated in a soft whisper.

She tried to shake her head, then winced. She was clearly in a lot of pain.

"What's your name?"

Again she just shuddered with pain. "H-Hea…" She got no further.

He shushed her quietly. "Okay, okay—how about I get you moved somewhere safe, then I can go back for the others and we can get out of here?" It was clear that she was young, too young to be in this situation. He wanted to help her out of whatever Sollux's plan had gotten her into.

She reached out to him as he reached down, and he plucked her up. She was light. Probably only five sweeps old. How had Sollux roped her into this? How many were just like her, injured because of this ridiculous rebellion that was going to get them nowhere?

Karkat reached the edge of the clearing and tucked her into the underbrush. "I'll be back, okay?" he said. "I'm going to get the others and hide them here, then we can sneak off together."

She gave a weak nod and Karkat stepped back into the clearing. He was less careful this time, more confident now that no one had come to stop him. He crouched next to the hulking female troll and gave her a shake. She didn't budge, though, and he winced as he saw the bump on the back of her head. Someone had hit her hard.

Disheartened, he moved to the first of the three males. Shaking him evoked no response. The same went for the third. The second was dead, so there was no hope for him.

Karkat returned to the hulking female and tried to awaken her again. But still there was no response, and he groaned in frustration. What had happened here, that she was so deeply unconscious?

"Well, what do we have here?"

Karkat shot to his feet in a heartbeat, sickles whipping out as he swung to face the source of the voice. He wasn't afraid; he could take any member of the on-world military without—

Oh. Oh, fuck.

The massive blueblood stalked closer, his eyes glittering dangerously. His uniform was that of a troll employed on the flagship itself. "You tryin' to help these rebels, kid?"

"N-no, I…" Karkat stammered. He stepped back over the body of the massive female troll. "I didn't—"

"You their medic?" the blueblood rumbled. He matched Karkat step for step, backing him slowly into a corner. "The little fly they send in to clean up their mess?"

"I j-just walked by and saw…" He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. The blueblood was stalking closer, large and regal and splattered with blood, and he made Karkat's heart lurch with fear. This was different.  _He_ was different. More powerful. He could tell.

_Is this a fight I can win?_

The other troll sneered. "Don't lie to me, little fly."

"I'm not!" Karkat managed, though it sounded choked.

The blueblood surged forward, and Karkat screeched in terror. His sickles fell from his hands against his will, and he found himself hoisted a good foot off the ground by a hand curled into his shirt collar. "Don't fucking  _lie—_ "

"Rohdan!" called a new voice, and Karkat just barely saw a few other adults appearing over the other's shoulder. "We can't find the others. They escaped."

Rohdan snarled, so deep and powerful that it made Karkat's entire body shake. "Well, no matter—I caught one last pest that we can add to the pile of hostages."

"One more?" one of the other trolls snapped. "I think you mean one  _less—_ where did the little girl go?"

Rohdan looked over his shoulder, then shrugged. "Guess she escaped while we were all gone. I came back to this rat fucking  _helping_ the rebel scum."

Karkat flinched as four pairs of eyes turned on him. All bluebloods, all massive, all intimidating as fuck. What had Sollux gotten him into, here? What was going on?

"Should we look for her?" one of the trolls asked.

"No," Rohdan decided. He was still looking at Karkat, offering him a nasty leer, and Karkat knew immediately that he was in trouble. This guy wasn't just going to let him go. "We've got this one, so the girl doesn't matter. We'll give the hostages to the  _boss_  and let him decide what to do with them."

_Hostage?_ Karkat thought.  _I'm a fucking hostage now?_

Rohdan finally stepped back, throwing Karkat to the ground. "Knock that one out and tie him up, will you? Then get him and the others onto the ship for when our  _esteemed_ leader gets back from checking out that downed drone."

"Will do, Rohdan."

Karkat scrabbled backwards as a female blueblood stalked toward him and took him by the throat, raising him up. He had about a split second to struggle, clawing at the female's hands, before an elbow was drawn across his nose and cracked across his temple, and his entire world flooded with darkness.


	6. Lost Skies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Sollux recovers from the attack, Karkat finds himself in a rather undesirable position and Eridan walks on the razor's edge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo, late again. This week has been rough...three midterms in three days! Livin' that college life.
> 
> I haven't said this in a note yet, but thanks for the kudos and comments and stuff! I love interacting with you guys.
> 
> This week's chapter is [Lost Skies](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN0MZRmAcRE) by Sophie Kazandjian.

"Do you like it?" Karkat asked, holding up a mirror for Eridan to look at the gold-lined scarlet chip he'd pierced through his ear. He'd chosen an area high up on the cartilage, carefully away from the place where his fins joined to the flesh. It was small, only a little flashy. Karkat hadn't wanted it to stand out.

Eridan took a moment to look at the piercing. He tilted his head from side to side just as Karkat had done a few days before, observing the way the candy-red gem glittered in the light.

Karkat gulped nervously. "Do you…?"

Eridan was silent for a moment longer. Then he looked up, a watery smile on his face, and let out a sobbing laugh. "I love it, Kar. Love  _you."_

The tension drained out of him all at once. "Yeah, I…I love you too, you idiot."

Eridan pulled him into a kiss.

 

* * *

 

 

The next morning Sollux sent out a message to everyone that had been involved in the attack the previous night.

_iif you're aliive and 2trong enough to move, meet me iin the lab tonight. ii want to a22e22 the damage._

He didn't receive any direct responses, but he hoped that they would come. He wasn't sure who'd made it back after that disaster of a mission. As it was, he'd barely managed to drag his own sorry carcass back before collapsing from blood loss. One of the bluebloods had caught him across the chest with their claws, tearing straight through the flesh and parting muscle, and the wound probably would have ended him then and there if he hadn't had the forethought to burn the thing shut with his psionics before passing out. When he'd finally awoken the next morning, he'd taken to the wound with antiseptic and bandages. It would leave a nasty scar, but he'd live.

Sollux spent the day sulking in his lab. Karkat hadn't been in to see him in a week after their last bought, and he was starting to miss him—especially now, when he was hurting and miserable for company. Aradia hadn't been able to sneak off to visit him yet today, so he hadn't had a whole lot of contact with  _anyone_ he cared about. But he knew that Karkat deserved his space and all that shit, and he was pretty sure he'd gone off to live with Gamzee for a while, so he wouldn't intrude. He'd wait for his kismesis to come to him.

By the time night finally fell and he headed down to wait for his friends, he was exhausted. Exhausted from the pain, exhausted from the mental strain of it all, and just… _exhausted._ He stood there at the mouth of the main tunnel and waited.

Ladcai was the first to arrive. He stepped out of the tunnels, a heavy bandage wrapped around his chest and a black eye puffing out from the right side of his face and tiny cuts and scrapes all over him. He was alive, though, and he raised a hand in greeting with a wince.

"Thank god," Sollux breathed, breath escaping him in a whoosh. "I was half worried you were going to get yourself killed."

"What, me?" Ladcai grinned somewhat painfully. "C'mon, Sollux, you know me better than that."

"Unfortunately," Sollux agreed, rolling his eyes in mock frustration. "What do you know about the others?"

Ladcai's eyes flashed with pain. "I managed to get into contact with Drunia and Crolan after the attack. Both of them are fine for the most part. Hearla, Marlit, and the twins, though…" He shook his head. "I couldn't get into contact with them. Marlit's little team of trolls are off the grid too."

Sollux closed his eyes. That was only four of them that had made it out for sure. What would he do if the others were dead?

There was a rustle from the tunnel. "Cai! Lux!"

Sollux's eyes cracked open as Drunia stepped out of the shadows, Crolan in her wake. Both of them looked beat to hell but alive, and that was a start. "Glad you made it," he managed, and his voice only shook a little. He'd messed up so  _badly,_ thinking he could take on Eridan's men and get away with it. They'd sent a message, but it was a message of weakness. They hadn't even achieved their goal of capturing uniforms.

"We're fine," Crolan said gruffly. There was adhesive paste sticking a bit of plaster to her horn, evidence of a hairline fracture. Sollux winced at the thought of it. "A little shaken, but nothing we can't handle."

"That's good!" Ladcai exclaimed. He hugged Drunia, then Crolan, and asked, "Did you hear anything about the others?"

"Not a thing," Drunia said. "I hope they didn't get captured!"

_Captured._ That was a possibility Sollux hadn't wanted to think about. Being captured meant being tortured, meant potentially revealing everything about the resistance. The entire rebellion could go down here and now if anyone who'd been captured was too weak to hold out.

More footsteps. Eagerly Sollux turned, and Farlan stepped out of the tunnel alone.

"Where's Synlan?" Sollux asked, nervousness settling in his stomach. He'd never seen the twins apart before.

Farlan looked away. "Captured or killed. I don't know which."

"Oh, no," Ladcai whispered, just as Drunia let out a little whimper.

"What's done is done," Farlan murmured. "We should start making a new plan."

A new plan? So soon? What were they supposed to do, knowing that imperial troops were strong enough to do this to them without breaking a sweat? Was the entire rebellion just  _fucked?_ Just destined to rot away into nothing, Eridan's troops wiping them all out without a second thought? They had the power to stay hidden, the power to conceal themselves…but was it true that the instant they stepped out of the shadows they'd just be wiped out like fleas on the back of a sick dog?

"New plan," Ladcai echoed. "Now  _that's_ something I can get behind!  _Ow, shit—_ I mean, after all our wounds have healed!"

"I just wish we knew about the others," Crolan said. "What about Marlit and Hearla?"

"I think I can help with that."

Ladcai perked up as a small girl emerged from the depths. "Hearla! Speak of the devil!"

Sollux examined her carefully. She had what looked to be a tender, swollen patch on the side of her head where she'd been struck, had lacerations down her arms and over her thighs, but she looked relatively unharmed. Orange blood crusted around the healing wounds. Even with her tremendous psychic powers, she'd taken a beating.

"Sollux," she greeted, bowing her head to him. "That was quite a plan."

"I had no idea they'd be so fucking  _strong!"_ he hissed in his defense. "I used to be friends with a blueblood, and he was strong, but I could have taken him with my psionics! These guys were on a completely different level!"

"Yes," Hearla agreed, "well. Unfortunately them being on a different level resulted in Marlit, Synlan, and two of Marlit's friends being captured. I would have been taken right along with them if not for the help of a kind stranger who ended up being captured himself."

"Captured?" Ladcai echoed. "Shit, all of them are alive? Like, still kicking, not dead, able to be rescued?"

"The bluebloods didn't seem intent upon killing them. I heard them say they were going to take them to Vice Admiral Ampora's ship."

"Hang on," Sollux broke in. "What exactly  _happened_ back there? How did you get away?"

"A kind stranger," she repeated. "He looked like a kid, or a young adult. Very short, small horns. I think he was walking by and heard the fight, then slipped in to help the injured once the bluebloods left. He woke me up and dragged me off to where I wouldn't be found, but I was still close enough to see and hear when the bluebloods returned and caught him off guard. He was unfortunately captured along with our comrades."

Ladcai shook his head. "Shit. Poor guy."

"He's not important," Sollux reminded them. "What's important is that our friends are with Ampora, and he's notorious for torturing his prisoners when they won't give him what he's been ordered by the Condesce to get. If they break, the rebellion could be over."

"We need to rescue them then."

"Not happening!" Sollux snapped. "What do you expect to happen if we go back in there, guns blazing, and attack the same bluebloods twice? They almost fucking killed us the first time!"

"Then we devise a plan."

"No! We need to let it go."

"Sollux," Ladcai said, taken aback. "Dude, you can't be thinking of leaving them! You said it yourself, we'll be fucked if they talk!"

"Then they'll have to do the honorable thing and off themselves!"

Stunned silence met his words. "Dude," Ladcai said, " _cold_."

Psionics crackled between Sollux's horns. "I know it's fucking cold! Don't you think I want them back? But if we want to stay alive, then we need to run and keep building our forces as much as we can, and then we need to try again. We can recover from this."

More silence. The others were just staring at him, expressions ranging from wary to horrified, and no one seemed to want to anger him further by speaking.

"I just wanted to assess the damage," Sollux tried. He needed to regain his composure. "I needed to see you in person and record just now serious your injuries were so we'll know for next time. Now that I understand, you can leave me in peace. I'm going to keep working on the drones and start planning our next move."

"You tellin' me that we dragged our sorry carcasses all the way out here just for you to tell us to go away?" Drunia snapped. "C'mon, Lux, that's ridiculous! Let us come up to the lab and we'll all talk together about our next move."

"I don't need your help."

Ladcai punched him on the shoulder, then winced as the movement tugged at whatever wound was hidden beneath the bandages on his chest. "Dude. Sollux. Solcandy. Bro.  _Stop_."

"Ladcai, you—!"

Drunia papped him on the other shoulder. "Lux, man, calm down or I swear we're gonna drag you down into a giant pale orgy."

Sollux paused, mouth hanging open. Then he took one deep breath, two for good measure, and forced his muscles to relax. They were right. He needed to calm down and just talk this out.  _Shit, I need to take this out on KK or jam with AA or_ something _, because I'm way too on edge to be making strategic decisions._

"Come on," Ladcai said. "Let's head up to the lab and decide what to do next."

Sollux listened.

 

* * *

 

 

"Well," Eridan grumbled, "looks like this is a dead end." He kicked at the felled drone irritably. It had been  _hours_ since he'd ben alerted that the rebels had put down a drone on the far east side of the city, the sun was starting to brush the horizon, and he was exhausted. He felt like he'd been walking forever, searching for some sign that the rebels were near. "Fuckin' great."

"I apologize," came a soft voice to his right. "I truly hoped that we might find the rebels."

He shook his head. "Not your fault, Ara. It's a clue for sure, and I'll have to send it over to Eq and the rest of the mechanics to see if they can tell me anything about how it was taken down or when it happened."

Aradia nodded. "I'll have it moved immediately. I'm sure I can get Equius to take a look at it for you without much trouble. He's the best there is, you know."

"Yeah," he said, "I'm aware." It was because he was so good that Nepeta had been allowed to stay with him rather than being shoved into the on-world military. The Empire would never risk losing his support.

"I'm going to head back to base now," Aradia said, lifting herself off the ground with her powers and hovering. It made Eridan's heart ache, seeing her floating there like she was still god tier and they were still in the game and Karkat was still alive and nothing had changed. But then he blinked and saw that she didn't have wings, that she was older and bone-weary and completely devoid of that childish hope they'd all had while they played the game, and his heart throbbed.

"Yeah," he agreed in a low rasp. "I'll see you around, Ara."

She nodded. Then she turned and flew off, leaving Eridan alone with the felled drone. It  _looked_ completely fine from the outside. He was eager to read the mechanics' report on what had been the cause of its shutdown.

At the very least, this would be a start. He had proof that the rebels were in the city, and soon enough he would be able to trace that first clue back to wherever they were based, and whatever sorry asshole was at the head of the mess. But for now, all he could do was go back to the barracks and—

His communicator buzzed. Someone was requesting contact.

He held the thing up to his ear and clicked the right button. "Commander Rohdan, what's going on?"

_"Vice Admiral, sir,"_ came the drawling response.  _"We had a little skirmish over here at the barracks."_

His heart skipped a beat. "Skirmish? What the fuck are you glubin' about?"

_"Exactly what I said,_ sir _. The rebels tried to attack the barrack we're staying in. They killed half those little recruits that were supposed to be serving us."_

"They were  _learnin'_  from us, not servin' us!" Eridan snapped, then shook his head as he realized that now was  _not_ the time. "What happened?"

_"Oh, what's to be expected. We showed up and took them down. Killed one of them by accident, and a few got away, but we captured five of them. I had them moved to the brig aboard your ship."_

He stared at nothing. "You're tellin' me that we have five rebels captured and aboard the ship?"

_"That's exactly what I'm telling you."_

Immediately shocked relief flooded through him. "God, you're never going to let me live this down are you? I'm out here fuckin' runnin' in circles while you're off capturin' rebels."

He laughed.  _"Right. What do you want me to do with the prisoners?"_

"Split 'em up into separate cells and make sure they're not talkin' to each other. I want 'em scared when I get there to start interrogatin'."

" _You got it_." Rohdan cut off the signal, and the coms went silent.

Eridan clipped his communicator back to his belt, took one last look at the drone, and started off towards his ship.

He had prisoners to interrogate.

 

* * *

 

 

Consciousness sucked, Karkat promptly decided. He hated being awake.

His throat hurt. There was a sharp brand of fire lashing all the way around in the shape of fingerprints, and the heat of it made his neck throb with searing pain. His joints ached too, every single one of them pulsing lightly as he tried to move. His entire body just felt  _wrecked._

He tried again to move. His muscles didn't like that, though, his head even less so as it gave an unhappy throb. Rolling over wasn't an option. The ground beneath him was hard and cool, and moving so much as an inch made things incredibly painful.

"Easy," hummed an unfamiliar voice. "Your neck is torn up real bad, little guy."

Immediately Karkat struggled to lurch up and defend himself. He had no idea where he was, couldn't remember much about how he'd been knocked out, and having some unknown person looming over him wasn't doing anything to help how secure he felt.

"Hey!" that same voice yelped. "Calm it down!" Hands settled on his shoulders, holding him down. "We're not gonna hurt you!"

Like  _that_ was convincing. Karkat jerked once, twice beneath the strange troll's hands. It just made his neck and the rest of his body burn hotter, but he managed it. His eyes wouldn't cooperate, though.

Oh, wait—there they went.

Karkat blinked up at the ceiling hazily. For just a moment his body stilled as his mind raced, attempting to take in everything around him. He was in a dimly lit room, he knew that, but the only other thing he could see was a dark shadow and a pair of horns jutting up toward the ceiling. His vision was washed with red, and he thought that some of his own blood must have been crusted around his eyelashes.

"You okay?" the unfamiliar troll asked. "You're the only other one awake right now."

Karkat squinted as his vision started to clear. Teal eyes, he recognized. Like Terezi's, but a little lighter. Male. Shortish, curved horns. An adult. He tried to say something to him, to ask who he was and what was going on, but all that escaped was a soft little croak.

The troll above him chuckled. "Well, at least you're coherent." He leaned back. "I'm Synlan. Got captured during an attack on the barracks. What are you here for?"

It all came rushing back in a flood of horror. He remembered it all. Rushing to see if he could protect Sollux, encountering the downed rebels, being strangled by that blueblood…

"Kid?"

He cleared his throat. "I tried to help you," he rasped painfully. "You…you're one of Sollux's rebels?"

Synlan's eyes went wide. "Yeah, that's right! How'd you know?"

"Intuition."

Synlan cocked his head. "That so? We've kept our operation pretty quiet, you know. How the hell did you manage to find out about it, or about Captor?"

"He's my kismesis." His voice caught in his throat, though, because now that he'd been captured was that even still true? He'd probably die soon.

"No shit, really? You're Vantas?"

Karkat narrowed his eyes. "You know my name?"

"Sollux has mentioned you a few times."

"Let me guess," Karkat growled, "it was when he was warning you not to do anything that would let me know about the existence of a rebellion he swore was only a dozen member strong."

Synlan gave an apologetic wince. "You…found out about that, huh?"

"Kind of hard not to find out when I'm choked out and thrown aboard an imperial ship by a furious blueblood," he grumbled. He shifted, and this time he was able to get his arms beneath him and push himself into a sitting position. "I went to help Sollux once I found out about your fucking  _ridiculous_  mission, but by the time I got there everyone was gone. Well, other than the five of you idiots spread out across the ground."

"Five? There are only four of us here, though, and one of you."

"Yeah, because I dragged this little girl off into the bushes to hide her. I was  _trying_ to get all of you out, but those bluebloods showed up before I got the chance. They knocked me right the fuck out and I ended up here."

"Hearla," the tealblood said. "You got Hearla out. Thank god." He turned to look at the others. One hulking female and two males, same as before.

Karkat shuffled awkwardly. He wanted to know so much about the rebellion Sollux had built, wanted to ask Synlan about everything, but he wasn't sure that knowing  _anything_  was wise. If he was going to be interrogated…

"Hey, Vantas?"

He looked up. "What?"

"I'm sorry you got caught up in this. Sollux was always going on about how he didn't want his quadrants tangled up in the rebellion any more than they already were, and…well, I have a feeling he's kicking himself right now."

"That asshole probably doesn't even know that I'm fucking gone."

"Maybe not. But I don't think he'll be pleased with himself when he realizes that his kismesis went off and died aboard a military vessel." He trailed off, bright tone petering off into sadness.

But that was the truth, wasn't it? They were on a military vessel. Those bluebloods had been soldiers from the fleet. Karkat had been captured along with the rebels, and had been counted as one of their own.

He'd die here. If not for being tagged as a rebel, then for having mutant blood. Even now it was glistening on his skin, beading up from where he'd torn his cuts upon sitting. A single touch at his eye told him that the colored lenses had popped out during his scuffle with Rohdan, removing the final barrier between the Empire and the truth. He wiped his blood away futilely.  _Too late to hide it now._

"Are they going to kill us?" Karkat asked dully.

Synlan looked away. "Yeah. Yeah, they are."

He…didn't feel much, really. He wasn't as afraid as he thought he should be. He supposed that he'd spent so long anticipating his own death, knowing it was inevitable, that knowing it was going to happen relatively soon wasn't much of a surprise. Maybe it was even a comfort. "Think they'll torture us?"

"I have no doubt that we'll be made an example of. That is, after they've wrung us dry for information."

"I don't know anything," Karkat whispered, and it was true.

"They're not going to care."

Karkat let his head fall to be supported by his knees. Synlan was right. They wouldn't.

Footsteps echoed outside the cell door.

"Well," Synlan chuckled, though there was no humor behind his voice, "looks like the fun starts now. I sure hope Sollux isn't just leaving us to die."

He was so calm. But then again, Karkat was too.

There was the sound of buttons being pushed on a keypad, then the door was sliding open and a tall, muscular blueblood was standing in the doorway. For a moment Karkat almost thought it was Equius until he got a better look at the guy's face.

Oh—it was the troll that had captured him. Rohdan, if he remembered correctly.

"Rise and shine, rebel scum!" he bit out, closing the door behind him and leering down at the trolls trapped in the tiny cell. "Time to face the music!"

Karkat flinched in sympathy as the blueblood took his boot to the sides of the trolls that were still unconscious. He received no response, though, seeing as they were too far out of it to even twitch, and it wasn't long until Rohdan turned to the only conscious prisoners in the cell.

Karkat shuddered as he got a mouthful of fangs shoved right up next to his face. "Looks like you're conscious, little fly. Perfect. I'll start with you."

Karkat's eyes went wide. "Start with—"

"Hey," Synlan tried, "he's not even one of us."

Rohdan shoved him away without so much as sparing him a glance. Hooked his fingers into Karkat's shirt, hauling him up. Karkat couldn't help a tiny whimper as the movement jarred his damaged throat and strained his sore muscles.

"Singin' already?" the blueblood chuckled. "You might want to save your vocal cords for later." Karkat had only a moment to stare in horror before Rohdan was plunking him down and shoving him towards the door, continuing, "We're moving all of you to separate cells for when our  _glorious_  leader gets here."

_Leader?_ Karkat thought.  _I can't imagine what ruthless monster must be in charge of these hooligans._

"Who knows? Maybe I can convince him to let me take a crack at you before he splits that pretty head of yours wide open."

The blueblood stopped to open the door, shoved Karkat through it, and immediately Synlan and the others were cut off behind a veil of cold steel.

He'd never felt so alone.

Rohdan laughed, low and deep. "I wouldn't look so scared yet, little one. You'll need all that fear for our dear leader. Or maybe, if we're lucky,  _I'll_  be the one that gets to crack you open."

He didn't know which one was worse—the shadowy boss that he'd never met or the asshole of a blueblood currently swatting at his back to keep him moving.

After what felt like forever, Rohdan stopped and opened the door to another cell with a keycode. "In you go, little fly." He kicked him, not waiting for him to move, and Karkat yelped in pain as he struck the ground rather harshly.

"Don't worry," the blueblood snarked. "I'm sure either our leader or I will be in to see you in a while."

Then he was gone, leaving Karkat in silence as the door slid closed with a soft, mechanical whoosh.

_Guess this is it,_ Karkat thought bitterly, staring at the closed door. He didn't have his sickles on him, and there was nothing in his sylladex that could help him break through solid steel. He was trapped here, plain and simple, and they could do whatever the fuck they wanted to him.

A thousand scenarios flashed through his mind. They could kill him quickly, but that was unlikely. Torture him  _then_ kill him, which was more likely. Imminent, even. They could do all of that, but do it in public so an  _example_ was made to the rebels. To  _Sollux_. Shuddering, Karkat imagined being tormented and executed live on television.

They could do other things. Worse things, maybe. Keep him alive and sell him off as a slave like the brownbloods and rustbloods aboard the Flagship. Or they could pawn him on some fucked up highblood with a fetish. He had rare blood, after all. Maybe it would be worth keeping him alive. If that didn't work, they could always brainwash him and send him out onto the fields of battle. He'd heard the horror stories before, the childhood legend that if the Condesce ever managed to look  _any_ troll in the eyes and give them a direct order, they were helpless to resist. It was rumored that she couldn't use it on many trolls at once, but those that were under its spell were nothing more than puppets.

_Strung up like a puppet. Is that how I'll go?_

Karkat stepped back. There was a steel table in the room with cuffs for his wrists and ankles, and he only considered it for a moment before just sitting down on the floor.

He had a lot to think about, a lot to fear, and not much time left to live.

 

* * *

 

 

Eridan boarded his docked ship with a snarl already forming across his lips. These rebels had purposefully lured him away while they tried to take out his squadron, and he was fucking  _pissed._ There would be hell to pay for this.

"Vice Admiral Ampora!"

He looked up as Rohdan appeared before him, stepping from one of the hallways that led down to the lower levels of the ship. "Commander," he greeted with a sneer. "Tell me that those scum suckin' rebels are locked up nice and tight down there."

"All five in separate cells, just as you requested," was the smug response. "The first four were involved in the direct attack, and the fifth was captured when he tried to help the captured rebels escape. He claims he's not a part of the resistance, but I'll let you be the judge of that."

Eridan nodded. "Excellent. In that case, I want you to write me a fuckin'  _immaculate_  report on what happened durin' that battle and have it waitin' in my quarters as soon as you can get it. I'll deal with the first prisoner tonight, then move onto the others when I get the chance."

Rohdan raised a brow. Averted his gaze, glancing away like he did when he wanted something. Eridan had worked with him long enough to know the signs.

"Unless you think there's somethin'  _else_ I should be doin'?" he growled. The warning was clear.

"Who am I to question your word?" Rohdan asked in a tone that was almost sincere, but not quite.  _Fuckin' pain in the ass, this guy._ "Though, if you cared to let me do something for you…"

"Spit it out!"

The Commander's eyes gleamed. "I can help you with the interrogation if you like,  _Vice Admiral_. I'll start from one end of the prison block and you start from the other."

"And  _why_ would I let you do that? So you can take credit with the Condesce?" It was no secret that the blueblood was after his position.

Rohdan gasped with mock amazement. "Why sir, I'd never! I just want to do my part to stop the rebel scum." He batted his eyelashes.

Eridan growled, low and dangerous. "Blackflirtin' will get you nowhere with me, Usyidu. If you want to help, then do it—but you're not gettin' jack from me."

He stepped back with a searing glare. "Fine. I'll start in at the end of the row, with that one that wasn't directly involved in the attack. You start in on the  _real_  rebels."

"You do that." Eridan waved a hand. "Now get out of my sight and write that report, or go do somethin' else useful!"

Rohdan offered him a salute that seemed less than genuine before turning and slinking off. The guy was a real problem, but he was one of the Empire's best. Notorious for breaking prisoners in half, though Eridan found his ways to be rather, ah… _unseemly._ Inappropriate, even.  _Obscene_. But the Condesce didn't care as long as she got her information, and as long as Eridan didn't have to see the aftermath he didn't care what happened between Rohdan and his victims.

_Doesn't matter what he does,_ Eridan thought as he stepped into the hall that would take him towards the prison cells.  _I'm the Vice Admiral. I'm the Condesce's new Dualscar. And nothin' he tries is goin' to take that away, no matter how bad he wants my position._

It only took a few minutes to get down into the detention area. There were ten cells set up, five on either side, some larger than others, and Eridan could tell immediately that all five on the left had been used to hold the rebels. What had Rohdan said? He'd start at the end, and Eridan would start at the beginning of the row?

He shrugged. Seemed good enough for him.

Eridan punched in the code, stepped into the cell, and leered down at the hulking female he found within.

"I've got a few questions for you," he started, answering the troll's snarl with one of his own. "So unless you want to end up a bleedin' puddle of pulp on the ground, I'd advise you start talkin'."

The troll jerked her head away in defiance, and Eridan rumbled out a growl.

He had a feeling he'd be working late.


	7. Jane's Lament

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karkat finds himself in a rather undesirable situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...tired...can't deal with adult things...don't want to deal with apartment bullshit...don't want to go to class on Monday...need motivation to survive...
> 
> This week's chapter is [Jane's Lament](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t3TS1JX2zY) by Kim Planert

After they'd been together for a good few months, Karkat had no choice but to sit Eridan down and give him 'the talk' that dealt with the more intimate features of his mutation.

"Look," he said awkwardly, trying not to look up at Eridan. The two were sitting at the table together, Eridan watching him with confusion, and he was trying not to throw up in his nervousness. "There's…more to my mutation than just my blood."

"Your eyes?" Eridan asked. "Or your vestigial gill slits? Your horns?"

"Other than that."

He blinked. "What else is there?"

Oh man, this was so awkward. He was definitely going to fall over and die from embarrassment. "Eridan. My mutation didn't just turn my blood red, it also fucked up some of my internal organs."

"What?" he gasped. "Oh no, Kar, are you gonna die?"

"No, you idiot!" Karkat snapped. "It only messed up  _one_ thing, and it's not life threatening! The worst that happens is that I embarrass myself!"

"O-oh!" Eridan blushed. "Sorry. Jumped to conclusions. Which part of you is affected, then?"

Karkat was sure that he was blushing twice as bright as Eridan. "My—um, my…" He waved a hand at his lower region. His cheeks felt hot.

"Your…" Now Eridan looked just as uncomfortable. "Um, your bulge?"

"No!" he yelped. "No, not that!"

"Uh…your—"

"My fucking globes!" he hissed, and he felt like a newly hatched wiggler as he said it, struggling to talk about sex like he'd never managed to hold down a concupiscent quadrant before (which he hadn't, but no one needed to know that). "Goddamn, Eridan, don't make me fucking say it!"

"Say what?" he asked, bewildered.

"They don't… _work_ right," he forced out. "They don't have that thing that stops them from producing material when they're full."

"So…what? They just keep on, uh, producin' the stuff?"

"Y-yeah, they do."

"Damn." Eridan's eyes flickered down, then back up a heartbeat later. "What happens when they're…full?"

"I have to fucking do something about it, what do you think?"

Eridan looked like he was about to pass out. "Somethin' like…"

"Yeah," Karkat muttered. "Otherwise it gets really fucking painful, and it just really sucks. Normally takes at least a month or two to get so bad I have to deal with it, but…yeah."

He gulped. "So what are you askin' me to do? Or…are you askin' me to do anythin'?"

"God, Eridan, just—what do you  _think_ I'm asking you to do?"

"You want me to…help you? Maybe?"

If he blushed any harder, the blood vessels in his face were going to burst. "Yeah," he choked out. "Yeah, that's what I want. And Jegus, I know this is awkward, but…" He fidgeted. "It's getting a little uncomfortable, and I didn't want to do it on my own now that I have a matesprit, and I just…"

His eyes were as wide as saucers. "I-I can do that. If you're sure."

Karkat stared determinedly at his hands. "I'm sure."

Eridan drew in a sharp, shaking breath. Released it in a whoosh. "O-okay…let's do this."

 

* * *

 

"Let's do this."

Eridan pointed a knife at the female prisoner, Ahab's Crosshairs abandoned in favor of a weapon more conducive to torture. She was strapped to the steel table that was standard issue in each of the prison cells, wrists and ankles secured down. She was a strong troll, but not strong enough to break the bonds. Still technically a child, but mere months away from hitting adult molt. A brownblood with jagged, curved horns.

"Give me your name," Eridan said coolly.

She ground her teeth. There was already blood dripping from her mouth where he'd struck her, just to show her that he was serious. "Marlit," she managed, though the words were choppy and strained.

"You a part of the rebellion?"

She glared. "No such thing."

Eridan aimed the blade at her eye. Held it above her calmly. He'd done this a thousand times; he knew what would make even the strongest of trolls crack. "There's no use in lyin' to me,  _scum_. I know about your little resistance movement already, and I'm here to put a stop to it."

"Can't put a stop to something that doesn't exist," Marlit bit out. "Face it, fins—you're outta your league."

"If there's no rebellion, then what were you an' your friends doin' attackin' my squadron? And what about the assault on the military bases a few nights ago?"

"No fucking clue."

Eridan let a growl rumble deep in his throat. "I'm in no hurry, girl, so you'd best be rethinkin' your silence before I take to torturin' you nice and slow."

"Fuck you," she snarled. "Even if there was a rebellion, I wouldn't tell you  _shit_. We're all prepared to die for this."

"That so? Then you shouldn't have a problem with me offin' you here and now." Eridan drew close and drew his arm back.

Marlit didn't even flinch. She just glared, jaw set, eyes hard as flint, and waited for the blow to fall. She wasn't going to crack so easily.

"You can spare yourself a lot of pain if you talk now," Eridan tried, one last attempt to get her to talk before he had to start carving. "Unless you spill everythin' about the rebellion, I'm goin' to have to do whatever it takes to get it out of you."

"Do whatever you have to," was the scathing response. "One day you'll get careless and accidentally kill me, and then it will be over."

"And until then you've got a fuckton of time to suffer through. It'll be hell."

"Our leader would be proud."

Eridan clutched his knife so tight that his knuckles turned white. "Fine then. You're leavin' me no other choice."

He stepped forward, brandished his knife, and did what he did best.

He decided to keep the first day to the knife alone. He'd learned the hard way that too much too fast pushed prisoners out of their minds and permanently broke them, locking away the information so tight that not even the sharpest blade could cut it out. No, it was important to keep a steady pace—and this first day would be all about breaking the prisoners in.

For the next hour, he proceeded to make the girl's life a living hell. He sliced up and down her arms and over her stomach and down her legs, left gashes under her eyes and stabbed the point of his knife through the fleshy bits of her ears. Every five minutes, the same question.

_Slice._ "Who is your leader?"

Nothing.

_Slice._ "How many of you are there?"

Nothing.

_Slice._ "What are your plans?"

Nothing.

_Slice._ "Where are you based?"

And still, there was nothing, and so he flicked the blood off of his knife and started all over again. He was good at what he did after spending so many years with the Empress, and so it was easy to detach himself from the situation as he sent the rebel into a haze of agony.

At the end of the hour, when Marlit had refused to crack and Eridan was starting to get frustrated, he decided it was time to take a break. He'd move on to the next prisoner and start breaking them in, then switch back to Marlit. He'd keep going until someone cracked and gave him the information he needed in order to either continue his investigation.

He stepped out into the hall just as Commander Rohdan stepped out of the lift and into the brig. "Vice Admiral," he greeted with a nasty smirk. "Having fun?"

"More frustratin' than fun," he said, shaking blood off his hands. "She hasn't broken yet."

His smirk widened. "Well, let's see if I can't get something out of that pretty little thing in cell five. Bet you a promotion that I can get mine to squeal before you get yours."

"How would that even fuckin' work? I don't give promotions. You just try to break 'im, and we'll talk about everythin' else  _after_ I beat you to the punch. And that's assumin' that you already finished that report I asked you to write!"

"I pawned it off on one of the lackeys," Rohdan said. "I'll let you know when it's in your quarters." He brushed past him and started off for the fifth cell. "Good luck!"

Eridan glowered after the Commander as he padded down the hall. The disrespect was  _astounding_ out of that guy. But he'd gotten him out of a few jams before, was still a valuable member of the fleet, and so he ground his teeth together in frustration and just headed for his quarters. He needed a shower.

He was the Vice Admiral of the fleet. He was the second in command, right hand to the Empress. He should have  _everyone_ bowing at his feet. But rank was only so much, and he was still younger than most of the other adults and not as respected as he should have been. More respected now, after four sweeps of service, than when he'd started, but there were still a lot of trolls who thought he didn't deserve his post. Rohdan was one of those trolls. He was stuck as a lowly Commander working his way up through the system the normal way, while Eridan had been snatched into the Empress' inner circle without so much as a sweep as a foot soldier. Rohdan hated him, it was no secret.

But still. Eridan was determined to prove himself to  _everyone,_ and if that meant cracking the female hostage wide open before the Commander could get to whoever was in the fifth cell, he'd have achieved just that.

 

* * *

 

It was decided. After a long time discussion and hours of planning with the rebels, they'd finally reached a decision.

They would leave the captured rebels behind.

No one had wanted to do it. But they weren't strong enough to risk a full attack on the squadron of imperial troops, and doing so would be suicide. The trolls that had been captured, if not already dead, would just have to find a way to be loyal to the rebellion. If they weren't, they would all have to run.

After the decision was made and the rebels had left, Sollux just sat there in silence for a long, tense while. Aradia was unable to slip away due to heightened security after the attack, so he couldn't just jam it off—so there was only one other person that could help him.

He opened the chat client they used in place of trollian.

**Sollux: KK, are you there?**

No response. Karkat hadn't been talking to him much lately, only shooting him a few spare messages in the past week whenever he was free of his pile with Gamzee, and now was no exception. He wasn't online.

**Sollux: Well…when you 2ee thiis, me22age me back a2 2oon a2 you can.**

**Sollux: ii really need you here wiith me riight now.**

He leaned back. Stared at the messages. Deleted them from his computer just in case anyone happened across them and connected Karkat to the rebellion. That was the  _last_ thing he wanted happening.

Right now, all he wanted was Karkat with him.

He…missed him more than he was willing to admit.

 

* * *

 

Karkat was awoken by the harsh shriek of the door sliding open and a familiar figure standing in the doorway, a wicked grin on his face.

Was it time for him to die already, then?

"Hey there, gorgeous," said the blueblood Karkat recognized as Rohdan. "Looks like you're in luck—I'm the one that's going to break you."

"Am I supposed to fucking thank you?" Karkat rasped.

"I expect a  _thorough_  show of gratitude," Rohdan growled. "Though you'll be screaming so loud in a few minutes that I doubt you'll be able to offer so much as a  _thank you."_

So, torture it was. At least it wasn't televised.  _Yet_.

"Get on the table."

Karkat immediately pushed himself back against the far wall. His legs shook a little beneath him, muscles still strained from the previous day, but he refused to look away even as he trembled.

Rohdan's eyes narrowed dangerously. "On the table.  _Now_."

He glared defiantly.

"Fine. You asked for this."

Karkat's every muscle tensed as he prepared to lash out the instant the blueblood tried to get close. But in the end, he never stood a chance.

There was a flash of movement, a lash of pain across the back of his head, and then he was being manhandled up onto the table and strapped down mercilessly. His head was spinning so badly that he didn't even have the chance to fight back.

"There," Rohdan announced once he was thoroughly restrained. "Now if you'll just  _cooperate,_ then I won't have to use force again."

Karkat tested the bonds with a few swift tugs of his wrists and ankles. They were sturdy, and he knew that trying to break out would be useless. Even if he managed to break free, what would he do? Rohdan would just tie him up worse the next time.

Rohdan slid a hand up his chest, and Karkat thrashed miserably as claws pricked at his throat. "We'll start with an simple one. What's your name, little fly?"

Karkat bared his teeth. Said nothing.

"There'll be harder questions later on, darling, so you'll probably want to answer the easy ones and save yourself the trouble of getting knifed."

He was going to die. What did it matter?

Rohdan shrugged. "Okay, then."

Then the blueblood ripped his claws down Karkat's chest, and he  _screamed._

Oh,  _fuck—_ why the hell did that hurt so bad?

"Like it?" Rohdan purred as Karkat gasped for breath. "See, I have this nasty habit of just…"

Something twinged in the back of Karkat's head. He fucking  _felt_ it plucking at the threads of his mind, working with deadly precision and nipping at exactly the right wires. For a moment his hearing shorted out, and when he regained his senses he realized he was screeching.

"…Yeah," Rohdan finished. "That. Picking at the mind, finding the centers that force the body to feel pain and  _amplifying them."_

Well, shit. He was so fucked.

The blueblood smirked down at him. "The Captain of this vessel likes to think he's good at breaking people. The best, other than the Condesce herself. But the truth is…" He scraped a claw up the underside of Karkat's neck. It felt like a lick of fire. " _I'm_ more of a threat than he'll  _ever_ be. And while he's busy playing dress-up with your rebel friends, I'm going to tear into you until you can't stop yourself from telling me everything I want to know. I'll break you, little fly. It's only a matter of time."

Karkat hissed as that claw finally broke the skin, ripping up towards his chin.

"I'll ask you again. Your  _name."_

Rohdan's claws prickled at his cheek, and he choked out, "Vantas."

"Got a first name, Vantas?"

He couldn't help but bare his teeth in a furious leer. "Karkat." The name was harsh and acidic on his tongue.

"Karkat Vantas," the blueblood repeated, rolling it around inside his mouth before letting it fall. "So tell me, Karkat, what's a fly like you doing getting caught up in the rebels' web?"

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"It  _means…"_ Rohdan let up on the pressure but kept his claws in place, running them up and down Karkat's cheeks in a cruel mockery of a pale display. "…You're such a young thing. I can tell you're barely out of adult molt. And that  _blood._ Bright, fiery red. What's a rare thing like you doing with the rebels? What's your purpose? What's your  _goal?"_

"My goal."

"You heard me."

Karkat stopped. Thought about it the best he could, considering the claws that were still raking over his face with gentle pressure. The longer he remained silent the more pressure was applied, and the more intense the prickles of pain became. "My kismesis," he rasped once he felt blood beading up in the scratches.

"Oh? What about your kismesis?"

"He's a rebel."

Rohdan threw his head back and  _cackled_. "Trying to protect him, little fly? Was it worth being captured, or is he here in one of these cells?"

Karkat didn't dignify that statement with anything more than a growl.

"So not one of the rebels we captured, then," the blueblood concluded. "Shame, I was hoping I could play you off of each other. Since that's not happening, why don't we move onto the  _really_ interesting questions?"

"Like what?"

"Like the location of your leader."

Karkat's blood ran cold.  _Sollux. He's talking about Sollux._

"Am I hearing a no?" Rohdan pressed one set of claws to the soft flesh of his stomach. One flick of his wrist would have him gutted.

He had to think fast. "I don't know where he is!"

"So it's a he, is it?"

_Fuck!_

"Sounds to me like you know  _something_ about the leader of your little resistance."

He flinched as red welled up in between Rohdan's claws. He was using that power again, amping up the pain until tiny pinpricks felt like bullet holes, and he barely held back a desperate whimper.

"Care to tell me about him?"

Karkat's entire body shook with fear. He could handle this, he  _could—_ he could handle this asshole of a blueblood tormenting him for information he had but couldn't reveal. He found a moment of relief in the fact that while he knew of Sollux, knew of his hidden hive beneath the streets of Alternia, that was  _all_ he knew. No matter what Rohdan did to him, he couldn't reveal enough information to do the rebellion true harm.

At least Sollux would still have his revolution. But when Rohdan grew impatient and stabbed into his stomach, sending lightning-bolt flashes of pain up his spine, that hardly seemed important.

The next few hours blurred together.

It was a mess. There was blood everywhere, dripping from Rohdan's claws and splattered across his crisp military uniform, soaking Karkat's hair, crusting at his fingertips, leaking into his eyes whenever he tried to turn away from the troll looming over him. Everything was just warm and slick and  _painful,_ agony licking at his sides and gripping his entire body so tight he thought he'd burst, and he didn't know how long it took but eventually he was gasping, choking on blood, chest heaving desperately as tears prickled around his eyes and he just wanted it to  _stop._

The questions never ceased. Rohdan kept asking him things, kept trying to get him to tell him everything about the rebellion—how many members there were, where they were based, who the leader was—and even if he'd wanted to tell him everything, he  _couldn't._ He only knew for sure that Sollux, Aradia, and Feferi were members. All else he was completely in the dark on, because Sollux had lied to him. But still, as the hours dragged on and Rohdan showed no signs of letting up, there was a small, dark part in the back of Karkat's mind that wanted to tell him everything he knew. But he just  _couldn't._ Sollux was his kismesis, he  _loved_  him, and hadn't he promised that he'd die before putting him in danger? He'd taken Sollux's place in the field for that very reason, and even if he'd lied to him, they were still quadranted.

_No way I'll let him go through this. Not Sollux, no matter what he's done to deserve it._

Finally, just when Karkat's world was starting to go dark and fuzzy around the edges, Rohdan leaned back.

"Resilient," he commended, and the candy-red blood around his mouth from where he'd bitten him just made him look all the more terrifying. "I'm impressed, Vantas—for such a small thing, I thought you'd have cracked by now."

He was so close.  _So_ close.

Rohdan raised a hand and did his best to wipe the blood off his face. "Well, I'm bored. What do you think about taking a little break?"

Karkat couldn't have responded if he wanted to. He was still trying not to choke on blood.

"You're not looking too well." He dragged a few fingers through the mess on Karkat's lacerated chest, just swirling them around and smirking at the answering hiss. "You're not about to bleed out on me, are you?"

_Bleeding out._ It hadn't occurred to him that that was  _possible_ at this point; surely there was more blood outside his body than in it. Was that why he felt so lightheaded?

"I'll send someone in to make sure you don't die," Rohdan said. "In the meantime, why don't you think long and hard about your future? Because the longer you hold out, the worse this gets."

As if. How could this get any worse?

"For example…" The blueblood held up his claws, stained with thick red. "That was just my claws. If I decided to use a  _real_ blade…well, I don't think you'd be able to recover from the sheer agony of it."

More pain. He'd handle it.

"Or, if you'd like, I could try something else. Something more…fun?"

_What?_ Karkat looked up in alarm, but Rohdan was already moving on without taking even a moment to explain himself.

"In any case, I think I'll leave you here. Careful not to drown in your own blood before I send someone in to help, yeah? I'd hate to lose you before I get the opportunity to wring  _every_ last drop of information right out of you."

Karkat gurgled at him faintly.

"Great," Rohdan smirked. "See you in a few, kid."

 

* * *

 

Eridan was sitting in the dining cabin of the ship when Rohdan appeared, that evil glint in his eyes that practically  _screamed_  that he'd been torturing some poor soul.

"No luck, I take it?" Eridan sniped.

The blueblood smirked. "Not yet, but I'll get him there. He was half out of his mind with pain when I left him."

"How lovely," Eridan muttered, rolling his eyes. He still had half a plate of rations in front of him, but he wasn't very hungry. He'd just spent the last few hours trying to get the female hostage to talk without much success. All he'd gotten out of her was that there were a good hundred or so trolls involved in the rebellion, some adult and some children. Nothing about their leader, their location, or anything that would help them get the jump on the rebels. "Well you can stop askin' yours about the number of rebels, 'cause I got mine to tell me that there's about a hundred."

"Thanks, but I think I'll try to wring it out of mine, too. What if the number yours threw at you was just a decoy?"

Eridan flushed. He hadn't thought of that. He evaded, "Couldn't help noticin' that your report  _still_ wasn't sent up to my room."

"Tonight," he promised. "I'll check on the underling I asked to write it right after this. Can't go back in to keep working on breaking that kid until the medic gets in there and stops him from bleeding to death."

"Yours is a kid too, huh?" Eridan asked forlornly. He'd do what it took to serve the Empress, but that didn't mean he liked killing kids that weren't even halfway to their adult molt.

"Nah, he's an adult. Just small. Tough, though."

"Must be, if he could stand whatever hell you put 'im through."

He received a sharp grin in response, teeth flashing in the dull light. They were stained pinkish; the prisoner he was working with must have been a rustblood. "Oh, he hasn't even  _glimpsed_ hell yet. Just you wait, I'll crack him in a matter of hours. A day, if he's  _really_  strong."

"Yeah, yeah." Eridan stared down at his plate. Now he  _really_ wasn't hungry. "If there really are a hundred of 'em, we'll need to send for backup. Get another squadron or two down here just in case."

Rohdan shrugged. "Guess so, but we can worry about that after we break the prisoners down and get  _all_ the information." He knocked his fist against the tabletop with a smirk. "Have to tell you, I'm looking forward to this one. The guy I'm working with now is a real spitfire."

"Hmm. What's his name?"

He stuck out his tongue. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Eridan pushed his plate away and got to his feet. He wasn't in the mood to play this game. "I'm goin' to go work on the prisoners a bit more. Make sure your report isn't late."

He walked out of the room, Rohdan cackling behind him, and took the lift down to the detention level.


	8. A Sacrifice to Save You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The inevitable approaches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, late upload! Sorry, my dudes. Something pretty intense is going to happen in the next chapter, so enjoy this last moment of relative calm.
> 
> This week's chapter is [A Sacrifice to Save You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5g3gixP1bM) by Efisio Cross

Their first time together had been perfect, like something out of one of Karkat's crappy romcoms he adored so much. Eridan had held him so lovingly, had pressed him to the mattress and stared down at him with wide, disbelieving eyes, as if he couldn't comprehend that this was  _happening_. He was inexperienced—both of them were—but when they were pressed together they managed to achieve something indescribable.

Karkat would always remember it. At the end Eridan had leaned down and kissed him sweeter than he ever had before, had held close and pumped him full with a soft cry of his name, had cuddled up close and just laid there to pant against his neck as Karkat dug the pads of his fingers into his back.

"You okay?" Eridan asked once they were spent.

"Better than okay."

"Yeah? How much better?"

Karkat stretched to kiss him again, unhurried. "Perfect."

 

* * *

 

 

"Tell me who the leader of the rebellion is."

Nothing.

_Slap!_

" _Tell me!_ It's not that hard, is it?"

A fierce, defiant growl.

"Come now, don't be like that!"

_Slap!_

The growl faded off into more of a whimper.

"There we go…if you just relax and tell me what I want to know, this can all be over. Come on, little fly, you're smarter than this."

Karkat tensed, expecting another slap, but it never came. Instead when he opened his eyes it was to the sight of Rohdan leaning down and dealing him a vicious bite to the side of the neck. The fucker just  _loved_ to use his teeth, and it was showing now. It felt like a row of tiny daggers slicing straight to his heart, somehow reaching all the way down. He had to bite back a groan as the blueblood lapped the blood from the wound. It reminded him of Terezi, in a sick, twisted way.

"How long until you crack?" Rohdan hummed. "Or until one of your rebel friends can't take the pain? The boss is working his way down the line, you know. And though he's no me, he's certainly no slouch. Your friends will break soon enough. You're lucky, little one—I'm much kinder than he is when it comes to these kinds of things."

"I f-find that hard to believe." There was a shake to his voice that hadn't been there when he'd first arrived, what was probably three days ago. Maybe four.

"I'll prove it to you," was the answering murmur. "I'll prove how  _kind_ I can be, then you'll understand."

There it was again. Those offhanded comments, getting under Karkat's skin and making him shudder with the repulsive implications. What was this guy's  _deal?_

"Unfortunately, you'll have to tell me a few things before I can start proving just how nice I can be."

Rohdan's claws were at his throat. Just pressing lightly, running over the other cuts that hadn't even started to heal. The medic that was sent in at the end of each day to fix him had done his best to patch up his wounds, but he was only ever allowed to do as much as would keep him alive. Rohdan hadn't wanted him too comfortable. Now, though, all the carefully closed wounds were ripping themselves back open.

The troll's eyes glinted dangerously. "I need to know the name of your leader."

Karkat turned his head to one side determinedly. He clenched his teeth, waiting for the inevitable slash of claws across his throat.

It didn't come. Rohdan just pressed a little harder and rumbled, "Tell me, wouldn't you like something to drink? Or eat? Wouldn't you like something to help you with the pain for a while, something to help you sleep…anything to make this situation better?"

He did. He wanted all of that. But if the cost was selling out his kismesis, asshole though he may have been…

"Give me your leader's name. Two words, one complete name, and I can help you just a little. Tell me everything, and I'll end the torture and patch you back up."

Yeah, right—like he'd let a mutant like Karkat live. If he spilled all the information he had, he'd either be used as leverage against the rebellion or just killed outright. But at this point, death was starting to sound good. The days of torment were beginning to get to him in a bad way. He could barely even move anymore without ripping open some cut or another, or straining a blackened portion of his skin. His stomach ached with hunger and his throat was dry, but he knew that trolls could survive far longer than this without food or water. Factoring in the blood loss, though, he knew he had to be teetering on the brink. Hopefully he'd just be allowed to sleep soon, and then it would stop hurting for good.

Rohdan narrowed his eyes. "Come on, little one. Be smart."

_You're not getting my kismesis. Not getting Aradia. Not getting my friends._

A rough, warning growl started up in the blueblood's throat. "You're really starting to try my patience!"

"Fuck off and—!"

He didn't get any further. He fucking  _felt_ Rohdan's roar, felt him reach into his mind and find the center that processed pain and grab onto it like a vice, twisting and ripping and abusing it until his entire body buzzed like a live wire. Oh shit, oh  _fuck,_ he'd never made it this bad before and he could feel every single wound he'd been dealt over the past few days pulsing with paralyzing agony, and Karkat's vision whited out the instant he felt Rohdan so much as brush a fingertip over his cheek. He wasn't just touching him lightly, though, wasn't containing himself to gentle caresses, because the next thing Karkat knew there were claws in his stomach, reopening old wounds and gouging new ones, and it hurt so much and the feeling of blood flowing down his sides was  _electrifying,_ like receiving an endless, painful zap of psionic energy right to his heart, and he just needed it to end. He needed all of it to  _end_.

Then the pain receded, and Karkat sucked in a choking breath as he realized that he'd been screaming at the top of his lungs. He couldn't do it, he  _couldn't_ , he'd been  _wrong_.

"So are you ready to—"

"My kismesis!" he burst out, half incoherent from the pain and desperate to make it stop for just a moment, just  _one_ heartbeat. "Fuck, just stop,  _please,_ I'll—"

"What's this about your kismesis?" Rohdan interrupted.

His voice caught in his throat. But then he felt those prickling clawtips raking over his stomach, teasing at slashing through him like paper, and he screeched, "The leader of the rebellion!"

The claws at his stomach froze. "Your kismesis is the rebel leader?" His voice was soft, awed.

Later, he'd realize how much of a mistake he was making. But for now it was good, the words had taken the worst of the pain away, and he found himself babbling, "Yes,  _fuck_ , he's the leader and he lied to me about it so I don't fucking know as much as I should, don't even know how  _many_ there are, but I think there are a lot and I'm scared that he's in over his head and I can't  _take_ this anymore, please just end me, there's nothing else I know!"

"You know your quadrantmate's name. Give it to me,  _describe_ him to me, and I'll end this."

No, fuck, he  _couldn't._ The pain was gone now and he needed it to stay gone, but saying more meant getting his kismesis killed, and once they found Sollux they'd find Aradia and then suspect Equius by extension and then Nepeta, then anyone connected to her in any way, and they'd all die and it would be  _all his fault._

But Rohdan was pressing against his mind again. He was digging in with mental clawtips, massaging at the edges of his mind, and then he  _pressed_ just one last time.

Karkat made it approximately one moment before he was screaming again. His mind felt hazy and blank, empty, and he couldn't  _shut up._ He wailed at the top of his lungs.

"Shit!" The pressure vanished suddenly, but Karkat's lungs weren't stopping. "Fuck, too much, too much—come on, kid, stop that!"

He couldn't.

"I said  _stop!"_ Rohdan sealed a hand over his mouth, and Karkat's harsh, desperate sounds were muffled then silenced as they turned to hacking coughs and shallow, stuttering breaths. When the blueblood finally saw fit to take his hand away, he curled into himself the best he could over the restraints and just  _sobbed_.

Rohdan just stood there like he didn't know what to do. Clearly he hadn't meant to take things so far, and he was paying for it now. "Damn," he breathed, "that's…"

Karkat slammed his eyes shut and kept them there. He couldn't bear to look up.

The blueblood cleared his throat awkwardly. "I'll send in a medic."

Then he was gone, Karkat was alone, and he shook with the force of his dry, choking sobs.

 

* * *

 

 

They cleaned him up after that. A reward for telling them his kismesis was the person pulling the strings, probably. The medic was allowed to wash his wounds and stitch up the ones that were too severe and pack the rest with gauze and bandages, and his stomach even received a treatment of numbing gel.

_It's nice,_ he thought, and he wished that he could just tell them everything so he could feel like this all the time. Feel  _nothing_ all the time. But he'd started working under Sollux just so he  _wouldn't_  be harmed, so selling him out now would mean that everything he'd been through up to this point would be meaningless. All of his pain, the pain he'd suffered for  _sweeps_ during missions and the pain he was suffering now, would all be for nothing.

After his wounds had been dressed, the medic had gotten him off the table to clean the blood. He'd been put back on the thing but left free of chains, and he'd actually been given a little water. That was all he'd gotten, though, before he'd been left on the table to curl on his side and try to cope with the pain. His stomach was numb but the rest of his body wasn't, and saying everything hurt was an understatement.

It was as good as it could be, given the circumstances. But when Rohdan came back, did it all over again, he knew it would all be for naught.

 

* * *

 

The prisoners were breaking. Eridan could feel it.

They'd been in custody for five days now. Five days, and while he hadn't spoken with Rohdan to see what he'd learned in quite some time (he refused to so much as look at him until he had that report ready), he was making progress with Marlit.

He knew that there were just over a hundred rebels. He knew that their bases were set up underground, as he'd suspected. He knew that most of them were children, but that there were a few adults thrown in as well. Only one of those adults had been captured, though. The rest were still pre molt.

That was all he'd gotten out of Marlit. She wouldn't tell him the location of the rebellion headquarters, which was presumably where the leader lived, nor would she tell him the name of said leader. She outright refused to give him information about any individual members of the rebellion.

And she never would, because as that fifth day drew on, Eridan accidentally took it just a step too far.

He was just trying to cut her a little, scare her like he'd been doing for days. But then he accidentally drew his knife across her throat a little too hard, cut a little too deep, and, well…the medic had only been able to hold her there for a few minutes before she slipped away. Dead, unfortunately. But that was okay—there were still four prisoners alive to work with. Well,  _three,_ probably—he was sure that whatever poor soul Rohdan had been working on for five days was probably hanging by a thread. He'd seen what the blueblood could do.

No matter. There were still enough prisoners left to get the necessary information. In the meantime, though, Eridan had the on-world military scouring the city for any sign of underground passageways or tunnels. If they just found some of the tunnels, and he could get the name of the rebel leader out of one of the remaining prisoners, it would be over in a heartbeat.

So, then—it was time to start working information out of the next rebel.

 

* * *

 

 

When Karkat opened his eyes again, it was to the sight of Rohdan watching him.

He was just…sitting there. Just sitting in a chair that definitely hadn't been there before, leaning his chin on the back of one hand and staring him down stoically. He didn't move an inch when he saw Karkat staring back.

He decided to ignore Rohdan for as long as possible. Instead he focused on cataloguing his injuries, testing his arms and legs and fingers and toes one by one to make sure nothing was damaged beyond repair. Luckily it seemed like he had at least moderate mobility. He still ached despite that, and he could feel the numerous places where he was cut throb with every minute shift of muscle beneath the skin. It was better now, though. The numbing gel on his stomach was still working a little. The bandages were still keeping back the last of the oozing blood. He wasn't sure if he should be glad or not—after all, he'd lost so much blood already that it probably wouldn't take much to put him down for good.

Rohdan made a soft noise. He wasn't going to let himself be ignored any longer. "You're awake."

Karkat glared the best he could. It probably looked more pathetic than biting, though. "Back for more?" he rasped out. His voice was only shaking a little. If Rohdan decided to torture him more, he wasn't sure he could take it. He'd had enough pain.

"Don't worry," Rohdan sneered, "I'm not here to cut you up. Medic says I have to give you a few hours unless I want you dead."

He wondered if he could provoke the blueblood into attacking without thinking and killing him.

"So." Rohdan leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "While I'm waiting for you to stop bleeding, I figured I'd talk to you now that you know what I can do."

Karkat nearly whimpered at the memory. Claws slicing him open, lashes of fire around his mind, forcing him to feel things he'd never dreamed were physically possible. He'd wanted to die.

"The way I see it, things here are simple. You can tell me the name of your kismesis and anything else you may know, or I can do that to you again and again until you're not even coherent enough to scream."

Karkat's entire body seized at the thought of having that done to him again. But he wasn't dumb—he could tell what had happened. Rohdan had hit him with too much,  _so_ much that he'd nearly gone out of his mind. If he tried to do that again, Karkat knew his mind would just  _snap_. Rohdan knew it too. This was nothing more than a scare tactic, and still it was working. He was terrified.

"Come on, kid," the blueblood said. "You know you don't want to go through that again. Just give me his name and a description, and we'll be done here."

He swallowed hard. "Will you kill me?"

"If that's what you want."

He wanted that. He wanted it to end.

Rohdan seemed to sense how close he was. "Okay…how about you just tell me the first letter of his last name?"

Karkat grit his teeth. It was tempting.

"I can take the pain away. You know that power of mine? It can also push you the opposite way. Wash away the agony, convince the body it's not feeling anything. Give me  _one_  letter. Or just his first name, or just his last. The shape of his horns. The color of his blood. Where he lives. Anything you like, and I can take some of it away."

He couldn't. No detail was too small to be nonthreatening. Every little thing would lead them closer to Sollux. He could lie, but…he was sure Rohdan would know.

Rohdan's expression remained completely calm. Devoid of emotion. "Fine, then, how about an easy one? Highblood? Or low?"

They already knew the answer to that one. They  _had_ to. It was a rare highblood that was against the Empire.

Karkat watched as Rohdan wiggled his fingers enticingly. If he just…gave them that one piece of information that they already knew…

He was speaking before he willed his mouth to move. "Low."

Rohdan's features softened. "There, was that so hard?" He reached out a hand. Immediately, cooling relief flooded Karkat's entire body. For the first time in days, the pain was gone.

Rohdan kept him like that for a precious few minutes. But it was over soon enough, and then the pain was easing back to life. "Wasn't that nice?" he asked. "If you'd tell me a little more about him, I could keep going."

He saw his game. Now that he'd had a taste of relief, the blueblood was going to keep edging him on until he cracked.

_His name is Sollux Captor. He has yellow blood. He's a psionic. He has four horns, two on each side, two large, two small. One eye is blue, the other red. He lives in an underground base connected to a series of tunnels that can take you all over the city. He's a Gemini, and his sign looks like two horizontal lines connected by two vertical lines. He's matesprits with Feferi Peixes, the Heiress. He's moirails with Aradia Megido, a mole in the Alternian armed forces._

There was so much he could say that would damn him.  _So much._

"Kid," Rohdan growled, beginning to sound irritated. "We can do this easy, or I can just keep increasing the sensitivity of your nervous system until you can't do anything more than scream."

He watched the blueblood with a steady gaze. He was terrified, but there was no point in feeling fear now.  _Do your best. I'm not telling you anything._

The message was received, and Rohdan raised his hand with a sneer.

The world went dark.

 

* * *

 

 

Sollux hadn't been able to get into contact with Karkat in almost an entire week. He'd messaged him countless times, but he'd just stopped responding. Finally, he tried to message Gamzee to get in touch with him.

What he'd learned…

Apparently Karkat hadn't been there in nearly a week—the same amount of time he hadn't been responding to messages. Gamzee said that he'd left to go see  _him,_ worried about some "motherfucking miraculous rebellion going-ons," and the clown troll hadn't seen him since.

So naturally Sollux had to go looking for him.

When he reached his hive, it was empty and dark. It looked like no one had been there in a while. He wasn't in any of his usual haunts, too, and just the fact that he hadn't been speaking with his moirail sent up massive red flags. He messaged all the members of the rebellion that were familiar with Karkat and asked them to keep an eye out. No one had seen him, but everyone promised to keep one eye turned.

For now, though, he was left to worry in silence. Something was wrong here, he  _knew_  it—but there was nothing he could do but wait and search for a kismesis that had seemingly vanished into nothing.

 

* * *

 

 

Eridan returned to his quarters that night to find a manila envelope waiting for him on his desk. It was thin, only one page contained within, but he knew immediately that it was the report he'd been waiting for.

Eagerly, he picked it up and began to read. It was normal stuff, all of it, the things he already knew—when the attack had been launched, how many troops had been killed, how many rebels had been involved. It wasn't until he got to the very end of the report that he finally got something worth reading.

_Thirteen rebels were involved in total, twelve in the attack and one appearing after to help the wounded. Of those, five are currently in our custody. What follows is a detailed list of what we know about each rebel who fought in the attack, their powers, and their threat level._

_Two rebels appeared to be almost identical, with short, curved horns and teal blood. They used hand to hand combat, and are ranked at a low threat level. One is currently in custody._

_One was a young girl who appeared to vanish at will and possess some kind of psychic ability. Orange blood, short, straight horns. Ranked as a moderate threat._

_One was a hulking female troll with brown blood and thick, jagged horns. Threat level is moderate-high in combat; she is currently in custody._

_Two more appeared to work together, one with a gun and another with circular discs used in battle. Both of their horn shapes and blood colors are unknown, though they are ranked high in threat level._

_One had long, thin horns, which he used in combat. Greenblood. Threat level moderate-high._

_The leader of the group, was a yellowblood that fought with red and blue psionics. He appeared to have four horns, two large, two small, and is ranked as a very high threat. His whereabouts are unknown._

There was more after that, a few more rebels to discuss, but Eridan didn't read further. He was too busy staring in shock at that last paragraph, eyes wide as he read it again and again.  _That…sounds like…_

But no _,_ it couldn't be! Eridan had seen the records, had  _seen_ the report on his death! He was  _gone,_ just like Karkat, blown off the face of the planet because of his mutations. Not even good enough to use as a battery. Still, though, there the paragraph was, and who else could it be?

And…if Sollux was alive, then…was Karkat…?

No, no,  _no—_ he couldn't let himself get his hopes up, not after all this time! Karkat was dead, Sollux was dead, they were all  _dead!_ The drones had offed them, he'd seen the reports, end of story.

_But doesn't it sound just like Sollux to do this? Input false data then go into hiding?_

Well…even if that was the case and Sollux was alive (he wasn't even going to  _think_ about hoping Karkat was okay, not now, not yet), how was he supposed to learn the truth? He couldn't just hit him up on trollian and expect an answer, not if he was fighting with the rebels.

Then, suddenly, it hit him.

_Aradia._

She was a part of the on-world military, and had been Sollux's moirail before he'd supposedly been killed. If Sollux was alive, then she would definitely know where to find him. But then again, if he  _was_  alive, and he  _was_ hiding from the career assignment drones, and he  _was_ a part of the rebellion…then didn't it make sense that Aradia was a part of it as well? A mole?

_Don't jump to conclusions,_ he told himself.  _She's the one that called you…about the…drone…_

His thoughts petered off as he realized just how suspicious that was. She'd called him, and he'd gone out there alone just as his men were attacked. Had it been a setup? If it had, then he couldn't expect her to tell him the truth about Sollux.

He knew what to do. Wordlessly, he grabbed his communicator and fired off an order to one of his men.  _Do me a favvor and wwatch Aradia Megido for me, wwould you? I think she might be a part of the rebellion. If she disappears, I wwant to knoww wwhen and wwhere it happens._

It took only a moment for him to get a response in the affirmative.

_Better watch out, Sol. If you're out there…_


	9. Everything Ends Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rebellion picks up a stray brownblood, and Eridan finally realizes the full extent of his actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late again...sorry! It's been a rough week. But (and I've debated over saying anything this early) I'm about two hundred pages deep into my next Homestuck story! It won't be ready to post for ages, but it's definitely something I'm dedicated to finishing so keep an eye out for more updates!
> 
> This week's chapter is [Everything Ends Here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmtOxvPsFt0) by BlueLionMusic

Eridan was sitting in his living room with Karkat when it happened.

It started small. Tiny prickles of heat over his skin, a little nausea, an itchy feeling around the bases of his horns. At first he thought he was just getting sick. But as the hours dragged on, and the heat of Karkat pressing against his side became unbearable, he finally started to realize what was happening.

"Karkat?"

The smaller troll looked up at him with soft, sleepy eyes. He nudged his horns up into Eridan's side with a yawn. "What is it?"

"I, uh…think I'm goin' into molt."

Karkat froze. "Oh, fuck."

"Fuck," Eridan agreed.

  


* * *

  


"So, um, Aradia, I heard that you were, the one that found the wrecked drone."

Aradia paused in pushing her rations around with a fork, glancing up at the troll sitting across from her. They weren't exactly close friends after all these sweeps, but they still made a point to eat breakfast together. It was like a ritual, reminding them of days that had long since faded into the past.

"I was," she confirmed. "I was just on patrol and ran across it, though, so it was nothing special."

"Oh…well, I think that, um, it was really impressive that you, found it and reported it to Eridan."

She poked at a piece of unidentifiable meat. "Careful, Private Nitram. You wouldn't want anyone else to hear you calling the Vice Admiral by his first name."

Tavros flushed miserably. "O-oh, it didn't occur to me…I guess I'm still, not used to him being so highly ranked."

"It's not like he climbed the ladder the way a troll normally would," Aradia said. She didn't particularly care about how Eridan had gotten where he was, but she knew that a lot of trolls  _did_. He wasn't exactly well loved, despite his loyal sweeps of service.

"Yeah, I guess, you're right," was the halting response. He took a bite out of a pile of mushy green vegetable matter. "S-say…Aradia?"

"What is it?"

"What do you, um, think of the rebellion?"

She blinked. It was such a strange question; Tavros had never shown  _any_ kind of interest in discussing such things with her in all the time it had been going on. "Why do you ask?"

His cheeks burned darker, and he muttered, "I dunno, I was just…" He waved a hand helplessly. "Just…wondering what it was like? To, be a part of it. N-not that I'm, um, sympathizing! I just, was thinking about what it must be like to be a part, of something like that."

Aradia stared in wonderment. Tavros…did he  _support_ the rebellion? If he knew some of his old friends were a part of it, would he want to help?

"Sorry," he said. "I, um, didn't mean to sound disloyal."

"Tavros."

"I really didn't—!"

"All of us are a little disloyal."

He froze. "What?"

Aradia glanced around to make sure no one was listening. It wasn't as dangerous to talk about disloyalty in the midst of the on-world military, which was made mostly up of disgruntled lowbloods denied the ability to climb the echeladder into the reaches of deep space. But that didn't mean it was safe, and it was always better to look around before spouting off anything about the rebels. Luckily there weren't many other trolls in the dining commons. "Tavros," she said gently, "the Condesce beat all of us down. When we got out of the game, we  _all_ wanted to help Feferi win. We wanted to create a world all our own. But then she lost, and the Condesce forced all of us to fit in, to serve her, or to die. Obviously, some of us chose the later."

Tavros flinched. He, like all the rest of their friends, believed that Karkat and Sollux were dead.

"But most of us chose the first option. To let the Condesce subjugate us." She stabbed her fork viciously into her food. "Naturally there would be some bitterness there. I don't think there's a single one of us out there that isn't just a little disloyal. Some more than others."

Tavros's eyes flickered from her to his meal to the room to her again, nervous. "Aradia, um, are you…?"

Something moved. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something shift in the doorway. Frowning, she tried to look without being too obvious, and…

Was that…a flicker of blue? A hint of a black and gold imperial uniform?

"Aradia?" Tavros asked. His voice was shaking, but his gaze was full of something almost like hope. "Are you a part of it? The…the  _rebellion?"_

She kept her eyes on the doorway. She didn't like the look of that shadow. Her mind was tingling, like…someone was  _listening._ Using some kind of ability to amplify everything. "No," she said, "I'm not." But even as she said it, she reached out her foot and tapped at Tavros's leg four times beneath the table. One long, one short, two long.  _Yes._

Tavros choked. "Y-you—!"

She kicked him once, hard.  _Shut up._

He got the message. Slipped into character. He didn't know anyone was listening, but Aradia's glare was enough to let him know that he needed to keep quiet. "I, um, didn't think you were! Sorry, that was, a really inconsiderate question."

"It's okay," she said. "I think that even the best of our group can be a little disloyal at times, but not even the worst of us would sink to rebellion. As bitter as it makes me sometimes, thinking about what happened to Feferi and what was stolen from us, I would never go against our ruler." She glanced subtly towards the shadow. There was a flicker of movement, then it was gone.

"Of course not," Tavros agreed. He returned to his meal, hiding a smile behind a bite of weird, lumpy fruit.

She nudged him with her foot again, this time just to get him to look up at her. She thought the person that had been listening was gone, but she couldn't be too careful.  _Someone was listening,_ she mouthed.

Tavros's eyes went wide. He started to say something, but Aradia gave him another kick. He was facing the door; if the shadow was still there they they'd know that she was still talking.

 _Do you want to help?_ she continued.  _One kick yes, two kicks no._

One kick.

_I'll come find you when the time is right._

One kick.

Her chest flooded with warmth. That was one more person on the inside that could help Sollux. She put her fork down and said loudly, "Thank you for eating with me. I have to get going now, though, if I want to make my morning patrol."

Tavros nodded a little too quickly. "Um, okay! Thank you for, eating with me as well."

She dipped her head and was gone.

Throughout the day, she kept an eye out for the shadow. And sure enough, every once and a while she'd catch it flitting in the corners of her vision. It was an imperial troop, she learned soon enough. He was wearing the proper uniform to be one of Eridan's lackeys. He was definitely watching her.

 _Why is he watching me?_ she wondered for the hundredth time, making her way down the hall after all her duties were done and she was picking her way towards her quarters.  _They can't possibly know I'm involved with the rebellion. Unless…someone they captured knows about me? But how? I don't think Sollux has told any of them my name for fear of this exact thing happening. I'm not the only spy in the on-world military, but there aren't enough to risk any of them being taken out._

She reached her room and sealed herself in. The person tailing her wouldn't be able to hear; the room was soundproofed. Quickly, she picked up her communicator and made a call.

The troll on the other line picked up almost instantly.  _"AA, what's wrong?"_

She slapped a hand over the receiver to muffle the voice. Just in case. "Keep it down, I don't want to be overheard!" she hissed.

_"Overheard by who? AA, what's going on?"_

She leaned close. "I'm being watched."

There was a gasp. Then,  _"No, that's impossible! What the fuck, how could anyone possibly know about you?"_

"I'm not sure. None of the captured rebels knew I was a part of the rebellion, right?"

_"No, none of them. I have no clue how anyone could have figured it out."_

"Well they  _did_  figure it out—or at the very least they suspect they've figured  _something_  out, because a member of Eridan's team has been on me all day."

_"Shit. What do we do?"_

"I don't think there's anything we  _can_ do, Sollux. I think I just need to lay low and not leave for a while until they decide I'm not a threat and leave me alone. But there is good news!"

_"What news could possibly override the fact that you're not going to be around to jam with me for a few days at least?"_

"Tavros is willing to help us."

Silence. Deep, impenetrable silence. Then,  _"Are you sure? How do you know we can trust him?"_

"Sollux, it's  _Tavros._ He doesn't have a deceptive bone in his body."

_"Fine, good point. Well…I guess I'll get in contact with him. You can at least keep calling me at night, right? I think I'll go crazy if you go full radio silence on me, AA. No, scratch that—I fucking know I will. I haven't been able to get in contact with KK for a week, so I'm going insane over here._

She frowned. "You haven't been able to find Karkat?"

_"No, it's like he's completely gone!"_

Something prickled in the back of her mind, telling her that those words weren't right. She just felt  _wrong._

_"AA?"_

"Sorry," she murmured, trying to pull herself out of it. "I…I'll listen for an news of Karkat. And I'm sure that I'll be able to call you most nights. I just have to lay low for a while, okay?"

_"Okay, I get it. See you soon?"_

"As soon as possible. I promise."

_"Pale for you, AA."_

"I'm pale for you too, Sollux."

He laughed, she smiled, and the line went dead a moment later.

  


* * *

  


Eridan was confronted the next evening by the guard he'd sent to watch Aradia. He appeared out of nowhere, standing before him as he exited his quarters to continue his work on the prisoners (he was still working on the second, while Rohdan was practically obsessed with the one in the last cell) and offering him all the information he'd gathered in the past day and a half.

"She hasn't said anything untoward," the troll reported. "She only voiced feelings of bitterness typical for lowbloods, though she made it clear to the male she was speaking with at the time that she had no intention of acting on such feelings. She went on patrol at the correct times, returned to her room promptly before curfew, and stayed there until the following morning's wakeup call. From what I can tell, there's nothing suspicious about her."

He was conflicted. On one hand, he didn't want Aradia to be harmed. On the other, if she was involved with the rebellion then she  _needed_ to be caught. If she was involved then that meant she knew where to find Sollux, and if she knew that then she had to be taken in and questioned. If not, though, he'd really rather not torture one of his old friends.

"Keep watchin' her," he requested, though he felt a little guilty while saying it. "Let me know if anythin' changes, or if you pick up on anythin' else going on inside the facility. Make no mistake, I'm sure that the rebels have help on the inside."

The troll nodded, clasping his hand over his heart. "Yes, Vice Admiral."

Then he was gone, and Eridan snatched his knife out of his sylladex as he headed for the detention block. He hadn't made any progress since killing Marlit, and he had no idea how Rohdan was doing. He hadn't seen him in days.

It was time to up his game.

  


* * *

  


The rebel was screaming. Outright wailing, as if he had no control of his vocal cords, held atop the metal table by his cuffs and writhing desperately to get away.

"Tell me his name!" Eridan roared, going for intimidation. "I won't let you fuckin' die until you do, scum!"

The rebel thrashed with all his strength. Got nowhere.

"Do you want me to make it worse?"

His mouth opened and closed repeatedly, but all that escaped was a series of wet, panting gasps. He never stopped moving in his attempts to pull his back off the metal.

"Tell me, and it will all be over!"

The rebel screeched.

"Fuckin'  _tell me!"_ He turned up the setting on his gun, pressing the muzzle harder against the bottom of the table. The heat, already enough to start cooking the rebel alive, kicked up until he was nearly out of his mind with the sheer agony of it.

Then, just as Eridan opened his mouth to taunt him further, the rebel split in two.

"Fuck, just—it's  _Captor_ , it's Sollux Captor, damn you, so let me fucking  _die!"_

There was more after that. Begging and screeching, then relieved panting as Eridan slashed the restraints and dumped the rebel onto the floor. His back was cracked and bleeding, half cooked. But that wasn't important.

What was important was the name. Sollux Captor, leader of the rebellion. Who was alive, just as he'd suspected, and leading an army of one hundred trolls towards freedom.

He was alive. Sollux Captor was still kicking.

_Aradia has to be part of it. Feferi too, that much is obvious. And…if Karkat was alive, I'm sure he'd be right there with him._

He couldn't think about that, though. Right now he needed to log the name in the system and get the word out that they were looking for a psionic with four horns, hiding out in a system of tunnels beneath the earth.

  


* * *

  


Karkat hadn't screamed in days. His throat was too sore, lacerated horribly from the sheer volume of the sounds that had been wrenched out of him since he'd been captured. He hadn't been given water in what felt like years, but Rohdan had told him that it had only been two day-night cycles. The blueblood had actually laid off a little, coming in to torment him less frequently, probably fearing that he'd push him too far and his mind would snap. It was infuriating. Rohdan was good at what he did, and he knew exactly how much Karkat could take before he couldn't bring himself back. He was being kept on the edge of that line.

He really wanted his moirail. That was about the only thought he had the cognitive ability left to process. He wanted Gamzee. He wanted to be held, wanted to be swaddled up in a blanket and held to his moirail's chest and kissed on the cheek and  _loved._ He wanted someone to bandages his wounds and wash the blood off him and stroke his horns until he was a purring mess, until every muscle melted into a puddle of goo. He wanted to sleep.

Rohdan wouldn't let him. As a part of his sick torture scheme, he came in and started hurting him every time he started to slip off. It was just another cruel joke, something else to make his life as miserable as possible. He didn't really care anymore. He couldn't scream, didn't think he could do much more than whimper and twitch a little. He was covered in blood, fresh and dried, and he was sure his face was bruised beyond recognition.

"I've had enough of this," Rohdan had snarled during their most recent session. "You'll tell me everything you know or I'll make things  _much_ worse for you. I'll take a set of pliers to you and rip out all your teeth, one by one, then I'll take a saw to your horns and make them even shorter than they already are!"

It was a joke. Doing that would kill him. But still, Karkat couldn't help the tremor that ran through him.

"I'll rip off your claws, then," Rohdan went on. "Pop them off one at a time until you're  _writhing_. Or—and I think I like this one the best—I can just reach a knife down and…"

Karkat gasped weakly as the knife trailed across his pelvis, then slid lower.  _No. Not that. I'll die._

Rohdan hadn't followed through, though. He'd just snapped, "You think about that, and maybe the next time I come in you'll be willing to talk," before turning and storming out of the room. He didn't send in the medic. He hadn't done anything like that in a long time.

He'd been alone, as he was often alone now, and all there was to do was cry.

_Gamzee…Sollux…if either of you are out there…I'm not sure how much longer I can last._

_  
_

* * *

__

  


The scenario from nearly a week ago repeated itself that night. Eridan was sitting at his usual place in the dining area, no one else around to interrupt his thoughts, when Rohdan opened the door and came stalking in like he'd been personally insulted by his own moirail. He wasn't even carrying anything to eat. He just came over and sat across from Eridan like they were best friends.

"What crawled up your nook and died?" Eridan challenged as the blueblood began glaring aggressively at the table.

"Nothing!" Rohdan snapped. "I'm doing completely fine!"

"That so?" Eridan reached out and took a sip of water to wash the disgusting taste of rations out of his mouth. "Well you'd better start catchin' up, Commander, 'cause I've already got a good deal of information out of the prisoners  _I've_  worked with."

"Fuck you, I bet I know more than you do!"

Curiosity prickled at the base of Eridan's spine. They really  _should_ be sharing information, seeing as they were supposed to be working together to achieve the same result. So, then. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

Rohdan bared his teeth. "Sounds good to me, provided you go first."

"Fine!" Eridan bristled. "I know that there are over a hundred of 'em, like I told you earlier, and that they're based underground. I know that the main branch of rebels is located in this very city."

"I already knew all of that!"

"Oh yeah? Well I bet you didn't know that the rebellion leader's name is Sollux Captor!"

Rohdan froze. His eyes went just a little wide. "You got his name?"

"Fuck yeah I did! I fuckin'  _won_ , Commander, and you fuckin'  _know_  it!"

"Don't be so sure," Rohdan sneered. "You're not the only one who knows something special."

"Yeah? And what might that be?"

Rohdan leaned close. Smirked, though there was a hint of heat behind it. "I don't know if I told you, Vice Admiral, but I've got quite the specimen I'm working on in the last cell."

"I've been informed."

"I've been breaking him for  _days,"_ Rohdan went on, a dangerous glint in his eyes. He'd always been dangerously  _into_ torturing people. "I've done everything. Burned him, cut him up, waged psychological warfare, practically driven him out of his goddamn mind. I'm half surprised he hasn't just given up and died."

"I don't need to hear about your torture fetish," Eridan bit out. "You're fuckin' disgusting!"

Rohdan ignored him. "I never thought I'd get it out of the little mutant. I thought he was just going to let me kill him. But then he started to tell me things.  _Interesting_  things. He told me that the rebellion leader is a lowblood, for one."

_Did he say…mutant?_

"And then! Miracle of miracles, he told me something  _special."_  Rohdan leaned forward even further, came so close that he was practically pressing his nose right up against Eridan's cheek. "Vice Admiral Ampora, do you know who we've got under our control at this very moment, half blind with pain and practically  _begging_ us to grant him death?"

He shook his head mutely. Something dark and horrible was beginning to coil in the pit of his stomach.

"Eridan, my  _friend!_ If you care to step down to the detention chamber and open the fifth door, you'll find the goddamn  _kismesis_ of the rebellion leader."

He couldn't breathe. No, no, that wasn't  _possible—_ Sollux's kismesis was fucking dead, had been dead for four sweeps if not longer, and that just  _wasn't fucking possible._ It was someone else. Sollux had taken on a new kismesis after Karkat's death, that was it, and that poor soul was waiting in the detention cell.

But…another mutant?

 _It makes sense that he'd find another mutant,_ Eridan tried to tell himself.  _Any adult troll that ducked away from the career assignment drones would have to be mutated, there's no other reason they'd need to run._

"He's a beauty, too," Rohdan drawled, oblivious to Eridan's shock. "Resilient as hell."

 _His name._ "Do you know his name?" His voice was shaking so hard he could barely force the words out. He felt like he was either about to pass out or throw up, and he wasn't sure which.

"Why does that matter?"

"His  _name_  Usyidu!"

The blueblood recoiled, confused. "He told me that it was Vantas. Karkat—hey, what the fuck?"

Eridan wasn't listening anymore. He was launching himself to his feet, horror and confusion and disbelief flooding through him in waves because that  _couldn't_ be right, it  _couldn't,_ he was  _dead,_ but he wasn't and Rohdan was telling him that he was there and in pain and dying, and he upturned every table in the dining hall in his haste to  _get there._

"Eridan!" Rohdan yelled after him, standing up and following him out of the mess hall. "What's wrong?"

He couldn't see. Couldn't hear. He just tore into the lift and shot himself down to the lower levels, heart beating out of his chest with something that was almost hope but more like horror and desperation.

Rohdan was still yelling behind him. He'd followed him down.

Eridan's eyes locked onto the final cell, the one Rohdan had been visiting for hours at a time for a little over a week, and  _oh god._ If that was Karkat, if his matesprit was alive, then he'd been going through hell. It would be a miracle if he could  _ever_ recover.

He pushed open the door to the cell, stepped inside with frantic terror, and his worst fears slapped him right in the face and all he saw was  _red._

Bright red eyes sprung up and locked onto him with a dull haze of confusion. Then they widened with realization, with shock, and the poor, abused troll was whimpering, "Eridan?"

"Oh god," he choked. "Oh god, Kar…"

Karkat just stared at him, so bloody he was hardly recognizable. There were tears at his eyes, though, making the scarlet of his irises shine painfully, and as the seadweller watched, he burst into loud, horrible tears.

His heart broke in two, and it was over.


	10. Time Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eridan and Karkat reunite.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Straight up, COMPLETELY forgot it was Saturday. I'm not saying I blame American Horror Story, but I'm definitely blaming it. Marathons are distracting as hell.
> 
> This week's chapter is [Time Out](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y-ES0eu6y0) by studio alpha.

Karkat stayed with Eridan all through his adult molt. He brought him food and water and fresh towels and clothing, helping him build his nest high, holding him when he needed it, watching over him constantly.

Neither of them wanted to acknowledge what would happen when Eridan was done. Neither wanted to think about the Condesce coming to snatch him away.

It would happen, though. Eventually, the time would come.

 

* * *

 

 

"Oh god," Eridan choked, "oh god, oh god, oh god…Karkat,  _no…"_

He left the door open behind him. Scrambled further into the room, throwing himself down on Karkat with a horrible whine. The redblood whimpered underneath him, mewled something about his injuries, but Eridan couldn't pull away. He didn't want to look yet, didn't want to let himself realize what had been done to Karkat because of  _him._ He just clung to Karkat like a wet blanket, cringing at the way cooling blood was seeping into his shirt. It wasn't real. There was  _no way it was real._

There was no way that Karkat was alive.

Karkat whimpered again, high and desperate, doing his best to reach up and grab onto Eridan. He was weak, though, it was obvious in the way his arms just flopped back against the table. He was still bound, unable to fight it, and he let out little chitters and sobs whenever Eridan moved him wrong.

"It's okay," Eridan choked out, even though it wasn't. There were so many emotions whirling around inside him, so many things he wanted to say and do and  _feel,_ but right now his entire body was just… _shorting out_. He couldn't do anything but cry and latch onto the person he'd believed to be dead for four sweeps, and the person that had occupied his red quadrant even in his supposed death.

"It's okay," he repeated again and again, frantically. "You're okay, Kar, you're gonna be fine, I promise. Nothin' else is gonna happen to you, not one thing, got it?"

Karkat shook silently. Trembled.

"Shh," Eridan shushed him, reaching up a hand to soothe through his hair. He winced as he felt the blood that had crusted in it. "God, Kar…"

Footsteps sounded in the doorway. Then, "What the  _fuck_ , Eridan?"

Karkat reacted to the voice. He drew closer and fucking  _whimpered,_ making this heartbreaking sound that told Eridan everything he needed to know. He leaned back, Karkat reaching for him and almost shrieking in his desperation to keep Eridan from leaving him all alone, and quickly slashed the bonds at his wrists and ankles before scooping him back up.

"What are you doing?" Rohdan demanded furiously. "I've almost broken him, put him back! Why are you  _holding_  him?"

Eridan let a growl build up low in his throat. Fierce. Threatening. "Are you fuckin' orderin' me around, Commander? 'Cause I'm about a dozen ranks higher than you last time I checked, and  _I_ am the captain of this vessel!"

Rohdan took a step backward. "Eridan—"

"Don't call me by my first name!" he snarled. "I'm Vice Admiral Ampora to you, you dirtscrapin' excuse for a troll!" He held Karkat close, and the ruined troll choked on a pained moan. "It's okay," he whispered for what felt like the thousandth time. "You're going to be okay, Kar, it'll be fine, I'm goin' to help you."

Rohdan  _glared._ His whole body tensed, bristling like he was about to protest. But then he saw the way Eridan was positioned, ready to snap his neck in a heartbeat, and he backed down with a chirping snarl. "Fine. But you're explaining this to me, or  _I'm_  explaining it to the Condesce."

"Just get the fuck out of my way!"

The blueblood moved. Eridan pushed past him.

Eridan tried not to think as he carried Karkat to the lift and punched in the numbers that would carry him up to his own personal quarters. He just held him close, watching him as he squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his cheek into his chest with soft, hitching sobs, and tried to convince himself that it wasn't happening. But when the lift doors opened and he stepped out into his living area, he had to realize that it  _was—_ and so he bit back a sob of his own and rushed Karkat into the bathroom, where he sat him down on the closed lid of the toilet and started running the tap to fill up the bath.

"Kar," he whispered, kneeling in an attempt to look his childhood matesprit in the eyes. But Karkat had them shut, was still refusing to look because looking would make it real, and so Eridan could only whisper, "I've got to get you into the bath, okay? I'm goin' to take your clothes off, but I swear I'm not gonna hurt you."

Red dripped from Karkat's eyes. He nodded.

"Okay," Eridan murmured. "Okay." He reached forward with gentle fingers and grabbed at the hem of Karkat's shirt. It was slashed to pieces, hardly even managing to cling to his bloodied flesh, and it took only one flick of his wrist to tear the thing off of him and chuck it in a corner. When the act didn't get him any kind of negative response (or any response at all, really, other than a blank stare), Eridan gently moved to Karkat's torn pants and undid the zip and the button.

"Stand up," he murmured, as if that was a thing Karkat was capable of. He supported the mutant with one arm and used the other to tug the garment down. Next were his undergarments, and then he was done.

Eridan turned off the tap. The tub was full. He pulled Karkat off the lid of the toilet with a soft shushing sound, patting at his cheeks in hopes of emulating pale comfort. Then he slid the battered troll down into the water as gently as he could. He'd made it hot, practically scalding to accommodate his blood temperature, but Karkat still whined miserably when he was lowered into it.

"That's it," Eridan soothed. "I've got you, Kar." He carefully kept Karkat's head from going under. Still the emotional strain of the situation was threatening to overwhelm him—but right now he needed to help Karkat, to make sure he didn't end up dead, and so he forced all of his raging emotions down deep under the surface. Karkat would die here if he didn't clean the wounds, stop the bleeding, and get him something to eat, something to  _drink_. But first, he had to be able to  _see_ the wounds.

He grabbed onto a washcloth and dipped it under the water, spreading a little soap onto it to help cleanse the wounds. He took the cloth to Karkat's left arm first, gently wiping away the blood until the lacerations became visible. The right arm was next, then the left leg, then the right, then his neck and his chest and his stomach and his back. Eridan dipped down to clean his pelvic area next, and once it was clean he noticed a little swelling below his stomach. Some dark, far away part of his mind told him that this was how Karkat looked when his globes were swollen, when he was in pain.

Shuddering, Eridan finally moved up to Karkat's face. He dunked the washcloth (once white, now red) into the water, doing his best to rinse it out in the pink water. He raised it up and gently brushed the blood from Karkat's face until he was recognizable again. There was swelling there, around his eyes and over his lips, but he'd deal with that once he was clean. Next came the shampoo. He worked it into Karkat's hair and gently took a comb to it, untangled everything and made sure all the dried blood and dirt was washed away into the filthy water. He drained the tub after that. Then he filled it again and repeated the process, making sure that Karkat was as clean as possible.

"Are you still with me?" he whispered once he was done. He shook Karkat a little.

The wrecked troll gave a soft keen.

"I'm goin' to lift you out of the tub, then," Eridan said. "I have to disinfect and bandage your wounds."

Karkat just let his head fall forward weakly. He seemed too drained to speak, or maybe his throat was lacerated as badly as his stomach. As  _all_ of him, really. There wasn't a square inch of skin that wasn't marked in some way.

Eridan lifted Karkat, just as he'd said he would and sat him up on the countertop. The bathroom was massive, the counter even more so, so he had no problems in stretching him out flat on his back.

Then, the bandages.

He quickly snatched up the sopor-proof pack of wrappings and a bottle of antiseptic. "This'll hurt," he warned, but Karkat didn't even seem to feel it when he started pouring the liquid over the worst of the cuts. He'd been in so much pain over the past week that something like this no longer fazed him. Eridan practically had to douse his whole body to get every wound, even dabbing it in his hair where there were cuts along the flesh of his scalp. Finally it was done, though, and the next thirty minutes were taken up by the act of gently covering the most severe of Karkat's injuries with the sopor-proof bandages. He couldn't get them all, that was impossible—but he could manage to cover most of his stomach and the space along his arms and legs before there weren't enough left to keep going. Besides, any more and Karkat would look like a mummy.

"We're done," Eridan whispered. "God, Kar, we're done…"

Karkat stared at him like there was nothing left beneath the surface. Like he'd been taken away and hollowed out, and now there was nothing left.

Eridan had to choke back tears.  _No, not yet. Have to get him something to drink, something to eat, then I can put him to bed and deal with my own emotions._  He picked Karkat up again. The troll felt far too light, but at the very least his wounds were packed tight and the bleeding had stopped. Now he just looked limp and lifeless, eyes blank, mouth slack. His chest moved up and down shallowly.  _He's in shock._

He placed Karkat on the couch, then scrambled to get him a bottle of water. "You need to drink," he told him. "Please, Kar, you  _have_  to drink."

Karkat watched silently. He'd gone completely still.

"Please," he repeated in a whimper. "Please drink somethin', Karkat, I  _need_ you to drink somethin'." He held up the bottle, lid off, and pressed it to the troll's cracked lips. Poured a little into his mouth. Rubbed at his throat and tried to get him to swallow. Repeated the process, struggling to get something in his system. By the time the bottle was drained, Eridan knew that eating would be an impossibility. Karkat was deep in shock, body attempting to deal with the sudden change and the trauma of the past week, and he wouldn't have a chance at food until he could snap himself out of it.

He had to let him sleep. In a recuperacoon, full of slime that would soothe his nightmares.

For the last time that night, Eridan pulled Karkat into his arms. The troll didn't even look at him. His eyes were closed, red leaking steadily from the corners. Crying.

Eridan opened the lid of his recuperacoon, which was tucked away in his bedroom. Gently, he lowered Karkat down into the slime. It was high quality, the type that was hard to get. It would keep him soundly asleep.

Karkat sank down into the slime. He sighed, and his entire body visibly relaxed. It was undoubtedly the first time he'd felt good in a week, probably longer.

_You're okay now,_ Eridan thought, reaching down into the slime and brushing over first one horn, then the other.  _Rohdan won't hurt you again. I'll make sure he doesn't._

Later, he knew, there would be complications. Rohdan would demand to know the nature of their relationship. Hell,  _he_ didn't even know the nature of their relationship. More than that, Karkat was the kismesis of the rebel leader. He had valuable information. Information the Condesce  _needed._ That information would have to be extracted, one way or another, and…

Eridan closed his eyes.  _No._ Not now.

Now, he just let himself lean his forehead against the rim of the recuperacoon and cry.

 

* * *

 

 

When Karkat returned to consciousness, he was floating. That was all there was to it. He was floating, drifting through something cool and soothing and just a little numbing, and it cushioned every part of his body like the softest pillow. Everything still ached, but it was a dull, far away kind of sensation. Tingling.

Everything felt like a blur. He remembered being tortured. Remembered the past week. Remembered wanting to die. And then, suddenly, he remembered something impossible. A familiar face, aged a few sweeps but still the same, staring at him in horror from the doorway. The face of the troll who'd left him without so much as a goodbye, traveling across the galaxy to serve the Empress.

The face of Eridan Ampora.

The purple chip in his ear hadn't been touched. Rohdan had never gone near it, and Karkat moved an arm through the soft, floating nothingness to touch it. It hadn't come out for a single moment since Eridan had stabbed it into him all those sweeps ago. A testament to his dedication, but dedication to what? To finding Eridan and trying to rekindle their relationship? To exacting revenge? To  _what?_

What did he want?

Something pulled at the edges of his mind, then. Soft but insistent, it tugged again and again.  _Kar,_ it was saying.  _Kar, can you hear me?_

He could. He could hear it.

_Kar, I really need you to wake up. I need you to open your eyes_

He moved a little. Whatever he was floating in gave. Like…water, but thicker.

_I'm worried about you. You gotta wake up. If you don't eat somethin' soon…_

He moved a little more. Pushed his arm up, and just his fingertips were suddenly free of that floating sensation.  _What…?_

Then his eyes snapped open, seeming of their own accord, and everything was thrown into nauseating clarity.

Slime. He was floating in sopor slime, like Gamzee loved to eat and like he always slept in, and it was glorious. He'd never felt so comfortable, just stretched out without a care in the world. Except, he  _did_ have a care, he had  _several_  cares, and all of them were making him sick.

Oh, and there one of them was. Standing over him, expression twisted into an almost sickened sort of horror.

"Kar," Eridan whispered. " _Karkat_."

He just stared. That. Was Eridan Ampora.

Eridan shuffled a little closer. He looked eager, hopeful, but scared. Nervous. "Kar," he repeated, like it was a prayer. "I…I thought…"

Karkat closed his eyes. As if that alone could shield him from the reality that his childhood matesprit was right there. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. His throat was damaged from all the screaming.

Eridan's fingers edged at the rim of the recuperacoon. "I thought you were dead," he rasped, and  _fuck,_ was he  _crying?_  "Oh my god, Karkat, I thought you were fuckin'  _dead._  I spent so long cryin' over you…"

Those fingers were inching closer. Like he wanted to touch, but wasn't sure if he was allowed. Karkat couldn't decide if he was or not. How was he supposed to  _react_  to this? Was he supposed to be angry? Relieved? Happy? A mixture of the three and more?

"Kar?" Eridan whispered, voice shaking. "Please, you gotta tell me if you're okay. Can you move?"

Karkat raised a hand in response. It hurt. His whole body ached. But it was better than before, and he was  _clean,_ so it was okay. "Er…Eri…" He coughed.

"Yeah, that's right," Eridan confirmed with a relieved smile. He reached out to take his hand, wrapping cool fingers around him. "It's me, Kar. It's Eridan. I…I'm so fuckin' sorry, you have  _no_  idea."

_What are you even apologizing for?_ His voice still wouldn't work, though, and he just stared up at his rescuer and captor with a weak little whine.

"I had no idea," Eridan went on. "I had  _no_  idea, Kar, you gotta believe me, I would have  _gutted_ Rohdan if I'd known, never would have let him touch you for a moment."

_But it would have been some other rebel instead, right?_

"I came as soon as I figured it out. Got you out and took you here, cleaned you up good. You're not goin' back, Kar. Never gonna let that happen to you again."

That was a lie, though, wasn't it? Karkat still  _knew_  things. He knew things he wasn't going to tell anyone, things like Sollux's location, and nothing would get it out of him. Eridan could say he wasn't going back, but the instant he refused to cooperate he'd just end up back on the table, but this time Eridan would be above him instead of Rohdan and it would be  _so much worse._ Eridan was more loyal to the Condesce than to him, after all. He'd proven that a long time ago.

Eridan reached for him, but didn't quite make it. "You're safe. I swear to you, you're safe."

He would never be safe. Not so long as the Empire was determined to kill people like him.

"I'm goin' to grab you somethin' to eat," Eridan said. "Stay here, okay?"

He left. Karkat was alone.

Eridan was…he was  _here._ He was back on Alternia. He—

He was trying to kill Sollux. Kill the rebellion.

Karkat felt like he was going to be sick. He was going to lean over the side of the recuperacoon and puke. He was. But when he tried to actually do it, nothing came up. He hadn't eaten in a week. Longer, maybe.

He pulled himself to the side of the recuperacoon. Pushed himself up on shaking legs, climbing out of the thing. Collapsed the instant he managed to haul himself out.

Oh,  _wow—_ it all hurt way more than he remembered. His whole body throbbed. It was almost as bad as the war being waged inside his own head, but not quite. Not quite.

The door opened again, and Eridan reappeared holding a tray. His eyes went wide. "Kar, I told you not to move!" He slammed the tray down on the table across from the recuperacoon and rushed to his side, and then his hands were on him. Eridan's hands were on his sides, helping him up and scraping the slime off of him until he was at least mostly clean. He wasn't sure how he felt. Eridan had used to be his matesprit. He'd used to touch him like this all the time. But now…

Eridan had betrayed him. Eridan had left him for the Condesce. To serve her, as he should have been serving Feferi.

He'd been  _betrayed._

And now…Karkat wouldn't have been tortured if Eridan hadn't ordered it.

It was his fault.

"I brought some soup," Eridan offered. He hooked an arm around Karkat's waist and picked him up, carrying him over to the bed next to the recuperacoon and plunking him down. He put the tray on his lap. "You haven't eaten in days, Kar, you really need somethin'."

He needed to go home. He needed Gamzee.

Eridan picked up the spoon, filled it with the dark, rich broth, and held it to Karkat's lips. "Here, eat."

Karkat opened his mouth to it. Numbly swallowed time and time again as Eridan fed him.

_I want my moirail._

Finally satisfied what was probably ten minutes later, Eridan set aside the bowl. He'd fed Karkat all of it. "Now drink," he ordered, and he did. He drained the bottle when it was offered to him, then another when it was shoved under his nose.

"Feelin' better?" Eridan asked.

Karkat watched him silently. His throat still hurt, and he didn't know what to say. Thank you? Fuck off? I hate you? I pity you? All of it, all at once?

Eridan sighed. "Okay. I want you to rest, got it? There's some stuff I have to go take care of, but I swear I'll be back. I'm not lettin' anyone else get to you."

He said that now. But what about when the Condesce ordered it?

The seadweller got to his feet. "I'll come back for you, Kar. I'm never leavin' you alone again. Promise."

He went, then, and Karkat was left to stare after him in silence.

_What do I do now?_

 

* * *

 

 

Rohdan was waiting for him outside. Leaning against the wall outside his quarters, arms crossed, horns knocking back against the plaster. He glared the instant Eridan emerged, closing and locking the door behind him to make sure no one could get at Karkat. He didn't even trust the medics around him right now.

"What are you doin' here?" Eridan growled, glaring right back. "Get the fuck outta here!"

Rohdan just arched a brow. "I want to know what you're doing locking the rebel leader's kismesis away in your quarters."

"None of your fuckin' business!"

"Oh, I think it's  _very_  much my business." Rohdan pushed off the wall and sauntered forward. There was no hint of caution, only angry determination. "I've spent a week breaking that troll down into a puddle of mush,  _I_ should be the one to finish the job! I almost had him, almost managed to strangle everything he knew right out of him!"

"We already know everythin'!" Eridan snapped. "There's no need to keep hurtin' him!"

"We don't know where the rebel leader is located. Where  _Sollux_  is located, if I'm remembering the name correctly. That kid, however, knows it very well. We  _need_ that information, Vice Admiral Ampora, unless you're thinking of going against the Condesce in favor of a  _prisoner."_

Eridan thought he felt his heart break just a little more. "I can get the information."

"Like hell you can! I don't know what that was back there, but it's obvious that you don't have the guts to hurt him!"

"Are you fuckin' questionin' me, Commander? This is  _my_  ship, and I'm in control of everythin' that goes on here!"

Rohdan's eyes narrowed to slits. "What is your relation to Vantas?"

"None of your business!"

"If you're showing favor toward a  _mutant_ captive, then yes, it is! Vice Admiral, you seem to be forgetting that our purpose here is to slaughter all of the rebel forces, to make an example of them for the generations to come! If you show favor towards one, you ruin our image. Now you'll hand him over to me or  _prove_ that you're actually planning on getting the information out of him whether he likes it or not, because if you don't then I'm going straight to the Condesce with this!"

Eridan felt a growl starting up, and he made no move to stop it. "I'll get the information! I fuckin' swear I will!" If he could just talk to Karkat, explain the situation, then surely…

"Prove it.  _Prove_  you can hurt him."

"I'll do no such thing! I'm ranked far above you, and I'm tellin' you to back the fuck off!"

For a moment, he thought that Rohdan was going to lash out. But in the end he just snarled out, "Fine! You've got three days before I contact the flagship!" and stalked away. Going to work on the other prisoners, no doubt.

He had three days, then. Three days to get Karkat to talk, to help him and figure out what he was supposed to do in this fucked up situation.

Three days.

 

* * *

 

 

Karkat spent almost all day in the recuperacoon, sleeping off everything that had been done for him and trying to make sense of his situation.

_I have Eridan back,_ he repeated it over and over again, just trying to realize that it was  _true_. His childhood matesprit was right there, looking like he'd barely aged more than a day since he'd last kissed him. He had him back. But whether or not he  _wanted_ him back was another matter entirely.

If he'd never been captured, it would have been different. Eridan could have come to him and apologized for everything, begged for forgiveness and groveled at his feet, told him that he'd left the Empire forever, and Karkat would probably have forgiven him. It would have taken time, but in a month at most he would have been wrapped right back around Eridan where he belonged. Now, though…

What was he supposed to think?

Eridan had never come back to him to apologize. Their meeting had been coincidental, and he probably never would have gone looking for him. But  _why?_ Eridan knew he was still on Alternia, didn't he? Knew he'd never left. So why hadn't he come to see him, especially since he was in the area? Because it would have made things too painful? Because he felt guilty? And that was putting aside why Eridan was even  _here_ —to kill Sollux. To put down the rebellion.

Eridan had been the one that had ordered all the captured rebels to be tortured. To be wrung dry for information. He'd set Rohdan on him like a savage dog. And while it was true that Eridan had stopped, had torn Karkat away and done his best to clean him up the instant he'd realized that it was  _him_ in that cell, was that really enough? After all, if it wasn't him then some other poor troll would be in his place, suffering endlessly without anyone to help them. If it had been anyone else, Eridan never would have raised a hand.

That, he thought, was at the heart of his troubles. Eridan served the Empire. He would torture and maim and kill anyone he needed to in order to serve the Condesce, and if she ordered him to turn on him, wouldn't he just do it? If it came down to a choice between serving the Empress and saving Karkat…well, he'd made that choice once before already. There was nothing to suggest that he'd change now.

_I want so badly for things to go back to the way they were,_ Karkat thought.  _But it just can't happen, can it? Eridan is the Vice Admiral of the fleet. He has responsibilities to the Empire, and he's proven before that he's not willing to abandon them. And I…I am a rebel. I may not be as deeply ingrained in the resistance as Sollux, but the mere fact that I'm hiding out as an adult on Alternia makes me as guilty as he is. I'm one of the people Eridan has come here to destroy._

It really was the same choice, then. The Condesce or Karkat.

_You'll choose her, Eridan. You'll kill me. I'm sure of it._

"Kar?"

There was a knock at the door, and Karkat winced. He'd just barely dragged himself out of the recuperacoon and washed off all the slime. He couldn't deal with this right now.

"Kar," the voice repeated, and then the door was pushed open and there he was. Eridan Ampora, the troll destined to kill him to serve his Empress. He blinked, surprised, and gasped, "Hey, what are you doing out of 'coon? You're still recoverin', damn it, you need rest!"

Karkat struggled to make his voice work. He was a little better now, the lacerations in his throat soothed by all the water he'd managed to ingest that day, but his words still sounded a little thick, a little raspy. "Eridan," he managed, and it was the first real word he'd gotten to say to his matesprit—his  _former_ matesprit—in four sweeps.

Eridan's expression went soft and pained. "Y-yeah, Kar, it's me." He closed the door behind him and slowly moved closer to where Karkat was huddled on the couch after the shower he'd taken. He was naked, not having wanted to root around for new clothing and unwilling to put his own back on. His could hardly be considered clothing, anyway, torn to shreds as it was. "Oh…" Eridan said. "Hey, let me get you somethin' to wear, okay?"

Karkat nodded mutely. Watched as Eridan turned and moved to a chest of drawers on the other side of the room, plucking out a pair of socks, boxers, pants, and a black long-sleeved shirt. Civilian clothing.

"Here," Eridan said. "Put this on."

He didn't hesitate; he was  _cold._ Eridan's quarters were set to stay at a comfortable temperature for seadwellers, not mutants. He pulled on the set of underwear, then the pants (which were a little big, but manageable), then the socks. When he turned to the shirt, though, he hesitated.

Eridan winced, as if sensing what he was thinking. "Sorry, Kar. It's the best I've got. Not tryin' to make a statement or anythin'."

Something twanged deep in his chest. He didn't have much of a choice, though, so he pulled on the shirt in one, swift tug. The purple threads on the front picked out Eridan's symbol almost mockingly. Wearing someone else's sign was like a collar, and the irony wasn't lost on him.

"Well," Eridan said helplessly, "at least anyone who sees you isn't gonna try and attack you if they think you're…"

_If they think I'm yours._

Eridan cleared his throat. "Sorry. I…know that's probably not the best thing to say right now."

_Probably not. You…you've never been the best with figuring out what to say._

The seadweller bristled uneasily, claws kneading at his palms. "God, Kar, say somethin'! I need…" He swallowed. "I need to hear your voice again."

Something cold and heavy settled in the pit of his stomach. "What do you expect me to say?" he rasped, then winced as the sounds rubbed against the cuts laced down the inside of his throat.

"I don't know, just…anythin'?"

"Fine then. I…" He trailed off. What  _was_ he? He hadn't really decided. "I'm…glad you're okay," he decided at last, because  _that,_ at least, was the truth.

Eridan's expression washed with relief. "Yeah, I'm glad you're okay too."

Except he wasn't. He wasn't okay.

"I've missed you so much," the seadweller continued. "Honest to god, Kar, I thought I'd never see you again."

_Well it's not like you tried that hard to find me once you got back onto Alternia._

Eridan took a hesitant step forward. Reached out a hand. "There's, ah…there's a pile in the other room. We should talk."

Yes. They should talk. Karkat reached for him in return, fighting the habitual relief that spiked through him the instant they made contact—a remnant from the days when Eridan's touch had meant that everything was okay, that he would protect him, that they would be together—and let the taller troll pull him gently out of the bedroom and into some random side room, where there was a massive pile of soft fabrics waiting for them. It looked royal. Nothing like the pile he'd shared with Eridan back when they were matesprits, which had been made up of whatever they could find. T-shirts and blankets, DVD cases and cords, bottles of soda and torn capes, all forming an amalgamation of sentimentality that had been enough to unwind most of the tension from their bodies with only a single touch.

Eridan let go of his hand and climbed up onto the thing. It looked too soft. "Kar? You comin' up?"

Karkat stared at the thing distastefully. Then he moved forward, picking a place just before the pile began, and sat cross-legged on the ground. He said nothing.

Eridan's expression crumpled just slightly. "Kar, I…I'm sorry, I just…I thought…"

Pity flashed through him.  _God…even after all this time…_

The seadweller inched his way back down the pile until he was just leaning against it, sitting right beside Karkat with this horrible, gut-wrenching expression of sadness twisting all his features around. "Karkat," he whispered. "How am I supposed to explain how sorry I am?"

"For what?" he asked, voice low. "What are you supposed to be sorry for, Eridan?"

"For lettin' this happen to you! I'm the one that ordered the rebel prisoners to be tortured, I'm the one that told Rohdan he could have you, I just…this is  _my_ fuckin' fault, Kar, don't try to tell me it's not!"

"No," he agreed, "it's your fault."

The admission made Eridan flinch, but still he said, "Yeah, it is. It's my fault, and I  _swear_ to you that I had no idea you were the one in that cell, otherwise I would have gotten you out before Rohdan ever laid eyes on you."

That just made him feel worse. "And what? Left all the other rebels to fucking  _die?"_

"Kar, they're  _dangerous._  They're tearin' up our facilities and wagin' war; we have to put a stop to them! You get it, don't you?"

"You're going to kill Sollux."

"Well…" Eridan shuffled uncomfortably. "He's leadin' the rebellion."

So he knew. Eridan already knew what Sollux was doing. "That an order from the Condesce?"

"Y-yeah, it is. She…asked me to come down here and wipe out the rebels, or at least bring back someone who knew where they were. I probably never would have come back otherwise."

"So you never would have come to see me again, is that it?"

"Kar, I thought you were  _dead_."

He blinked. "What?"

"Kar…" Eridan moved a little closer. "I checked the career assignment records every single day after I left, waitin' to see if you'd made it, or if the drones had caught you. One day I got a notification sayin' that you and Sol had been culled due to mutations."

_Oh…_

Eridan reached out. Pressed a few fingertips to Karkat's knee. "I would have come for you if I'd known. I fuckin'  _loved_ you, Kar, loved you more than anythin' in the world. I never would have let you get involved with the rebels."

But how exactly would he have helped? Snatched Karkat away, swept him off to join the ranks of the Empire as his  _pet?_ He'd never be allowed to serve normally, not with his blood—and even if Eridan had managed to gain approval to keep him alive, it wouldn't have been as an equal. He would probably have been just like the lowblood slaves aboard the flagship.

"I'm sorry," Eridan said again. "I'm  _so_  fuckin' sorry. I wish this had never happened to you. Wish you'd never have even had to hear Rohdan's name. But now you're here and I can't let you go, and it's just  _so fucked up…"_

There it was.  _I can't let you go._

Eridan would kill him for the Condesce. Torture him for the information he hadn't yet revealed. He could already see it.

"Kar, I can help you."

Here it came.

"Rohdan isn't gonna stop pesterin' us until he has all the information out of you. We know everything but where Sollux is located, so if you can just tell us that…"

He couldn't deal with this. He  _couldn't._

"Kar?"

"What would you do if I said no?" It escaped before he could stop it, bursting out in a soft hiss.

For a long moment, Eridan was silent. Then, "I really wish you'd just tell me. If you just spill Sollux's location, then I could keep you safe."

"You didn't answer the question."

More silence. "I don't know. I don't know what I'd do if you refused."

His heart hardened. "The mere fact that you don't tells me that you don't pity me."

"Woah, hey!" Eridan pushed himself up so he was sitting on his knees, protesting, "Kar, I've always pitied you! Not once in all these sweeps have I filled my red quadrant, even when I thought you were dead, because I was waitin' for you!"

"Then why are you  _doing_  this?" Karkat snapped.

"Doin' what?"

"Fucking  _making me choose!"_

"Choose?" he echoed, stunned. "Choose what? Kar—"

"Do I need to spell it out for you?" he sneered. He pushed himself up, though every muscle screamed in pain, facing Eridan with fire he hadn't felt in weeks. "Sollux is my kismesis, you fuckhead! I  _love_  him, have loved him since you left me in the dead of night without so much as a word, and now here you are telling me that my only options are to give you his life or hold out through whatever bullshit torture you're going to put me through next!"

"Kar, please, don't fight—"

"I'm not giving you Sollux."

"But…I don't want to hurt you! I can't hurt you, Kar, I won't do it, so don't make me! Just tell me,  _please!"_

He shoved his face right up next to Eridan's. "If you want Sollux's location out of me, then you'll have to put me right back under the knife. Because I'd rather die than give him up to someone as traitorous as you."

"T-traitorous?"

"You left me. You fucking  _left_ me in the middle of the night, left me with nothing but a few hasty words and something that didn't even come close to a goodbye! You didn't even tell me you were leaving, and when you did it was to serve the fucking  _Condesce!_  You betrayed me, Ampora, betrayed me and threw me out like a piece of garbage, and it's clear to me that the only reason you feel remorse is because you feel bad for  _yourself!"_

"No, I never stopped pityin' y—"

"You pity yourself, you bulgechomping shitbiscuit,  _not_  me."

"That's not true!"

"If it weren't, you would leave with me right now."

Eridan's eyes went wide as saucers. "What?"

"Leave with me right now, you piece of shit! You heard me!"

"Kar, I…I just…"

"You  _can't._ Is that what you're about to say? Because it's not fucking true! You could get up right now and sneak me out of this ship and be done with it, go help Feferi and Sollux and the rebellion and die instead of running away!"

"I didn't run away!"

"You joined the Condesce, and that's as cowardly as it comes. At least  _I_  had the guts to stay on Alternia and accept my inevitable death."

"What was I supposed to do, stay and let the Condesce kill me when I refused to serve her?"

"It would have been better than fucking running into her arms!"

Eridan opened his mouth, but Karkat cut him off before he had the chance to get started.

"You  _left_  me, Eridan! Without so much as a goodbye, without even one real discussion, you just ran off to become her Vice Admiral! You don't think we could have fucking  _talked_ about it before you left? You don't think that maybe that was something that warranted a conversation or two?"

"Kar—"

"I can't decide what's worse," he snarled, "that you left me back then or that you're too much of a coward to stand up for yourself now. Do you  _want_ to kill me?"

"No, of course not!"

"But you're not going to let me go, right? You're just going to hold me here out of loyalty to your  _Empress,_ and when she orders you to torture me for the information, what are you going to do? When she tells you to kill me, just what the  _fuck_ do you think you'll do?"

"I—"

"You'll kill me, that's what! You'll torture me, kill me, do whatever the fuck the Condesce orders you to because you're her loyal little dog, running around and doing whatever she orders without so much as a second thought!"

"I wouldn't!"

"Yeah? Give it a few days. I'm sure the order will come in any time now."

"There are ways I can keep you alive!"

"Oh, like turning me into one of the slaves aboard the imperial flagship? Like fucking  _collaring_ me and beating me down until there's nothing left? Because you're kidding yourself if you think there's any other way I'm getting out of this alive. Either you sneak out of here with me or you take me to the flagship and leave me with the lowblood handlers so they can  _train_ me. Think you can handle that, Ampora? Think you can handle seeing me traipse around the flagship as a fucking  _slave?_  We both know what happens to lowblood servants aboard that ship, and I'm  _sure_ more trolls than just Rohdan would be seeking my  _services."_

Eridan looked a little green around the gills. "Don't say that about yourself, Kar. I'm not gonna let that happen."

"Then what are you going to do? Kill me, or help me escape?"

"I—I can't do  _either_ of those, you have to understand—"

"You don't get another option, Eridan.  _Choose_. Otherwise I'm sure the Condesce will choose for you."

There was a frenzy of movement. The soft materials of the pile were flung up, Eridan's limbs flailed, and Karkat lurched backward as the lanky seadweller scrambled to his feet with nauseated urgency. He was gone in a heartbeat, slamming open the door and vanishing, and a few moments later Karkat heard the sound of violent retching coming from the bathroom. So he'd actually managed to make Eridan sick? Good. He wanted him to understand the hell his actions would bring.

When Eridan finally reappeared, he looked like he'd been run over. His hair was sticking up all over the place, his face was green, his eyes were a little glazed, and his clothing was twisted around awkwardly.

"You done?" Karkat snapped. "Or do you need to throw up a few more times before you're ready to sentence me to death?"

Eridan swallowed hard. "Kar, I can't do this. Don't make me have this conversation."

"I'm the one that has to put up with whatever you decide, so we're having this conversation right the fuck now! You don't get to act like you're the one being inconvenienced here!"

The seadweller took a step back. "No. I can't…I…I'll be back, okay? I think I just need to, ah…clear my head." He backed away, turned, and started to leave again.

"Before you do whatever you're about to do, I want you to remember something."

He stopped.

Karkat reached up and brushed his hair away from his ear, where the purple chip was still nestled firmly. Turned his head so the gem caught the light. "You weren't the only one that was in love back then."

Eridan's expression immediately twisted into something dark and miserable. "You…you kept it?"

Karkat's stomach lurched, and he realized that a similar feeling was coiling in his heart. He couldn't see any of his signature red among Eridan's typical adornments. "I loved you. How could I get rid of it? Not like a massive fucking hole in my ear could just miraculously vanish. Guess I should have known better than to leave it in, though. Apparently you didn't care enough to do the same."

Eridan stared, silent. Then he stepped back out of the doorway and took a few steps forward, crossing the room until he was standing right in front of where Karkat was kneeling. He dropped, putting himself on the mutant's level and leaning close.

"Ampora?" Karkat asked gruffly. "What the fuck are you doing?"

He didn't say a word. He just reached out and wrapped his long, cool fingers around Karkat's wrist, soothing across the marred skin with deliberate gentleness. He tugged at Karkat, bringing his arm up and using his shorter, stubby digits to brush the hair away from his earfins.

Karkat sucked in a harsh breath as the pads of his fingers were dragged across a portion of Eridan's flesh that had been hidden to him before. Something glittered in the dull light, something  _red,_ and Karkat's eyes went wide.  _That's…_

"You're a real idiot if you think I'd ever get rid of somethin' you gave me," Eridan murmured. "I told you, I never stopped lovin' you, not once in all these sweeps."

Something caught in Karkat's throat, warm and choking, and he blinked hard to avoid bursting out into angry tears. Frustrated pity swirled in his gut.

Eridan cleared his throat. "I should leave. Get some rest, okay? And…think about handin' over the information I need. I don't want to do anythin' to you, Kar, but people like Rohdan and the Condesce have no such reservations."

Then he was gone, Karkat was alone, and the world had never felt so dark.


	11. All Heroes Suffer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eridan speaks to Karkat, then the Condesce. A decision is made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I usually run my chapters through FFN to get rid of indentations (I write these stories in word documents and CANNOT for the life of me get my computer to remove them any other way), and the site was down today so guess what! I had to go through every single paragraph and remove the indentations by hand! Fun! 
> 
> On another note, hit me up if you guys have an idea for a Homestuck story I could write! Oneshots, longer pieces...I'm poking around for new idea since I've hit the halfway point of this story I'm working on separately (the one dealing with kingdoms and monsters and all that good stuff). No guarantees it'll get written, but I'm open for suggestions!
> 
> This week's chapter is [All Heroes Suffer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mkeve5sI2dA) by Efisio Cross.

When Eridan came out of adult molt, he was terrifyingly changed. Taller, broader shoulders, longer horns, deeper voice. He was still himself, though, if a little clumsier while he tried to figure out his new center of balance, and Karkat had to spend a ridiculous amount of time winding bandages around the cuts and scrapes he managed to give himself while he was just trying to navigate his own home. The size difference proved to be a little intimidating, seeing as Karkat wasn’t anywhere near going through his own adult molt, but they made it work.

For a few blissful weeks longer, they got to be happy. They spent almost all their time together, trying to ignore the fact that it would probably be brought to a premature end before long, and for the most part it worked. They could just…pretend.

Soon, though, the Condesce came knocking.

 

* * *

 

 

 

Morning came, and Eridan had two days to get the information out of Karkat. If he failed, he would have to contact the Condesce and tell her exactly what was going on, or Rohdan would do it for him—and he knew that if that happened, Karkat would be wrenched from him along with the rest of the rebel prisoners and tormented until he relinquished Sollux’s location.

But still…even if he _could_ get the information out of Karkat, what would happen then? It wasn’t as if he could just release him. He was the kismesis to the rebel leader, a prime bargaining chip, and letting him go would go against everything the Condesce had asked of him. He had a responsibility to the Empire now, an obligation to follow in his ancestor’s footsteps, and he couldn’t do that if he just let Karkat leave. He could use him to get at Sollux, kill him and the other rebels, and then find some way of keeping Karkat as his own once everything died down. He would be safe under the Condesce’s protection, under _his_ protection. Eridan could _make_ him safe.

_Save as what, though? As a lowblood slave aboard the flagship? That’s_ hardly _safe, and you know it. Those trolls die all the time because their handlers were just a bit too rough, and it’s not like I could watch Kar at all times. The instant he slips off and gets himself into trouble with another highblood while I’m not around, he’ll be fucked. He has such a big mouth; he won’t last long._

He’d just have to deal with it when the time came, he decided. Convince the Condesce that Karkat was worth saving. Right now, he just had to focus on getting Karkat to tell him where Sollux was hiding out. If he could just get that information, get everything he knew on the rebellion, then there would be no reason for the Condesce to have him tortured any further. He’d be as safe as he could be, given the circumstances.

Still. Actually _getting_ that information was going to be another matter entirely.

“Come on, Kar, let me in?”

“No!”

“Please?”

“Fuck off!”

Eridan groaned, letting his head fall against the closed door with a thunk. Karkat had locked himself in the spare bedroom hours ago, probably before Eridan ever even woke up, and was refusing to come out. “You’re gonna need to eat eventually,” he called. “You’re still recoverin’, you can’t hide in there forever!”

“Fuck you, yes I can!”

“Kar, come on.” He tapped at the door with his knuckles. “You can’t just let yourself waste away in there.”

“It’s sure as hell better than whatever’s going to happen to me once you get that order from the Condesce telling you to kill me, or wring the information out of me!”

“I’m not gonna hurt you!”

A low growl rumbled through the door. “I don’t care what you say, I’m not letting you in!”

Eridan didn’t have the heart to tell him that he could unlock the door from the outside at any minute. _Let him feel secure now, while he still can._ “Well I’m not leavin’, so we’ll just have to talk through the door.”

“We don’t have anything to talk about, fuckface!”

“Like hell we don’t!” _I still need to convince you to give up Sollux’s location. We still need to talk about what we are. There’s so much we need to discuss, and so little time._

“Shoot, then. What exactly is it that’s _so_ important for the two of us to hash out through a closed door?”

“Kar, come on. You know what it is.”

There was a brief silence, then the sound of something knocking against the inside of the door. Karkat’s head, probably, or the tips of his adorably nubby horns. “I’m not going to tell you where Sollux is. Just let me die and get it the fuck over with!”

Eridan winced. “For the thousandth time, I’m not gonna kill you! But that bein’ said, I can make things a fuckton easier for you if you’d just _tell me_ where your kismesis is hiding.”

“No. Fuck you.”

He would have slammed his head against the door too, but his horns got in the way. “At least open the door? Just a bit? I promise I won’t push my way in, I just want to see you a little.”

“I said _no,_ so get the fuck away from me! Don’t you have other prisoners to torture?”

“Rohdan’s handling them.” He winced the moment the words left his mouth. That probably hadn’t been the most sensitive thing to say, considering what Karkat had just been through.

“Oh.”

Here it came…

“So I’m the only one that gets special treatment, then? Because it’s me, and I’m _so_ fucking special that you’re going to _protect_ me and just let the other rebels be tortured to death by Rohdan? I’ve seen his worst, and it’s something that no troll should _ever_ have to endure.”

It wasn’t true. Rohdan hadn’t even gotten started when he’d tortured Karkat, hadn’t even moved on to psychological torment. Karkat didn’t need to know that, though. “We need the information.”

“They’re trolls, Eridan. Just like us.”

“They’re _rebels_. There’s a difference.”

“Only because the Condesce has _ordered_ you to see one.”

Eridan had to take a moment to compose himself. Snapping at Karkat wasn’t going to help here. “Is that’s what botherin’ you? That your rebel friends are gettin’ it from Rohdan?”

“They’re not my fucking friends; I’m not even really a part of the rebellion! But they’re still trolls, still living, _sentient beings_ , and the fact that you’re breaking them down like this is fucking revolting! And you’re just okay with it, too! You’re just letting it happen!”

“Kar—“

“What happened to the Eridan that I used to know? The troll that fought to protect his friends, the troll that didn’t really want to hurt anyone? What happened to the Eridan that spent all his time plotting shitty ways to wipe out all landdwellers, then purposefully messing them up because he didn’t want anyone to die?”

“We all have to grow up sometime,” he murmured. He leaned his head forward, and this time he let his horns click against the door with a low, grinding rasp. “You’re kiddin’ yourself if you think I _want_ to do any of this. But the Condesce demands it, and I’m her Vice Admiral. If I don’t do exactly as she says, I die.”

“Death would be better than the half-assed excuse for a life you’re living.”

Hurt flashed through him. “I’m doin’ what’s necessary to survive! You would have done the same!”

“I would have died without a second though.”

“No, you fuckin’ wouldn’t! You act tough, Kar, but when you’re actually facin’ down life and death, the lines get a lot more blurred! You would have done the same thing I did.”

“What, sold myself to the Condesce?”

“If that’s what it took!”

Karkat snorted. “Well it looks like I’m facing down life and death right fucking now, knowing that I’ll probably have my head torn off if I don’t give up Sollux’s location, and I’m _still_ refusing to sell him out. I’m _still_ _loyal._ So maybe you’re wrong, and you’re just more of a coward than you thought.”

_Deep breaths,_ he reminded himself, because if he didn’t get himself under control then he was going to smash through the door and strangle Karkat then and there. _Calm down. You can do this._ “I just wanted to live, Kar. Nothin’ more than that.”

Karkat sucked in a sharp breath, so loud that Eridan could hear it clearly through the metal separating them. “ _Fuck_.”

He sounded miserable, but thoughtful. That was a good sign. “Look, there are a few things I need to tell you before we take this any further. Think you’re willing to just listen for a bit, and keep an open mind?”

Silence. It was as good as an agreement.

Okay…this was a good start. He could work with this. “I’m not quite sure how to tell you this, but there’s a time limit on our little reunion.” He paused, waited for a response. But Karkat said nothing, made not even a single noise, and so Eridan pushed on reluctantly. “If it were up to me, I’d keep you safe here for as long as I could. But Rohdan knows as well as I do that the Condesce has demanded Sollux’s location, and we have to get it. He gave me three days to get the information out of you before he’d call in to tell the Condesce about you. You’re the kismesis of the rebel leader, after all. A bargaining chip.”

More silence. Then, slowly, “Three days?”

“Two, now. One has already passed.”

“What happens when time runs out?”

He hesitated. Swallowed hard. “I’m not sure, Kar. I’ll have to tell the Condesce you’re here, give her a progress update, and then she’ll decide.”

“So she could order you to kill me, then. Have me tortured like I suspected.”

Eridan cringed, remembering that he _really_ didn’t want to think about what would happen if the Condesce ordered such things. “She could, yeah. But…if you just give me Sol’s location, I can make it look like you’re cooperatin’ or somethin’. I can tell her that I have all the information I can possibly get out of you, so there will be no need for you to be tortured. It’ll put you in her good favor, and even though you’re a mutant, it could be enough to save your life.”

Nothing.

Eridan tapped at the door. “Kar? You okay in there?”

Still, nothing. He wasn’t answering.

“I know it’s hard. I went through the same thing when I started workin’ for her, askin’ myself if I could really just betray all my friends for her benefit. But if you just give in, I swear it’ll be a thousand times easier. It’ll seem like you’re willin’ to work with us. Don’t you want that? To make things easier on yourself?”

For too long the silence dragged on, and Eridan almost thought that Karkat had just decided to hide away forever. But then there was a dry, choking laugh, really more of a sob, and Karkat wheezed, “Nice try, Ampora, but I’m not that fucking easy. You may be willing to sell out all your friends, but I have a _bit_ more integrity than that.

“What use is that integrity when it gets you fuckin’ killed?” Eridan snapped. He banged his fist against the door. “You have two days to get your head screwed on straight, Kar, more like one and a half now, and if you refuse then I won’t be able to stop what happens to you!”

“If you pitied me, you’d just sneak me out.”

“Then we’d _both_ die! I told you, Kar, I’m not in the business of dyin’ when it’s unnecessary! The rebellion isn’t strong enough to stand up to the Condesce anyway, so there’s no point!”

“So if it was stronger, you’d leave? Is that it? You just want to be on the winning side like a fucking _coward?”_

“I. Want. To _live.”_

There was no response.

“Kar?”

He didn’t make a peep. And when Eridan called out again, then again, he stayed completely silent. Ignoring him.

Well, that was fine with him. Eridan pushed himself to his feet and backed away with a glare. He would go down and help Rohdan with the remaining rebel prisoners for a few hours.

Then, maybe, Karkat would be more receptive, and more willing to save his own life.

 

* * *

 

 

When Eridan returned to his quarters that night after an unsuccessful attempt to torture the rest of the information out of the other captives, the place was eerily quiet. He frowned, slowly closing the door and taking a few steps into the main room, cocking his head and freezing in place momentarily to see if he could hear anything.

Nothing. He couldn’t hear a thing.

“Kar?” he called out. “You in here?” It was a stupid question. He’d programmed the doors to remain sealed from both sides unless the exact code was provided, so there was no way he could have slipped out. Besides, he was too injured to go far. “Kar, come out!”

Still, there wasn’t even a hint of noise or movement. Eridan picked his way further into the main room and examined every corner. Then, finding nothing, he searched through the spare rooms and then the kitchen, moving on to the bathroom where Karkat had locked himself that morning. He was nowhere to be found.

_Where else could he be?_ Eridan wondered, bewildered. His own bedroom was the only place left. He approached it, saw the door closed, and leaned his head against it with a frown. Inside, he could hear the slight rustling of fabric before everything grew quiet once again. _So you’re in here, are you? What on Alternia could you possibly be doing?_

He turned the doorknob with deliberate slowness. Pushed the door open, wincing as the hinges creaked softly. Poked his head into the room.

Immediately, he flushed bright purple. _Oh._ Karkat was _sleeping,_ curled up on a pile that had definitely not been there when Eridan had left that morning. Stepping further into the room, he saw that the pile contained none of the soft fabrics and luxurious cushions that had been heaped into one of the spare rooms for Eridan’s use. Rather, as he drew closer, he saw that Karkat had seemingly just roamed around the place and grabbed onto whatever he wanted. Random objects stuck out in all directions. DVD cases from beside the television, the dismantled shells of broken guns and crossbows from the room where he threw all of his ruined weapons, shredded military uniforms, plates from the kitchen, the set of pokers by the fireplace, towels from the bathroom…the list went on. He’d half wrecked the place in building it, but he looked more peaceful than Eridan had seen him since they’d been reunited. He’d buried himself under a layer of junk so only the top of his head stuck out.

Eridan knelt by the pile, no longer wary of awakening him. “Hey, Kar,” he murmured softly, reaching up and brushing a hand through the smaller troll’s ragged hair. Karkat didn’t stir, just twisted a little and nudged his head up into Eridan’s hands so that his horns bumped at his palms. All due to his unconsciousness, most likely.

Pity washed through him in a sharp, painful wave. He scratched imploringly at the bases of Karkat’s horns, light enough so that the subduing biochemicals would only be released in small amounts. “You’re safe,” he found himself whispering, even though it wasn’t really true. “I’ve got you, Kar.”

Karkat chittered lightly in his sleep. Arched up into his hands like a cuddly kitten, a purr rumbling to life low in his throat. Eridan could clearly see the piercing in his ear when he turned his head just a little, gleaming in the low light. If he just reached out and touched that little chip of amethyst, rubbed a little harder at Karkat’s horns and closed his eyes, he could almost imagine that nothing had changed. He could almost take himself back to that blissful time before his adult molt, when the two of them had spent ages at sea, wrapped around each other without a care in the world. But the instant he let his eyes slip open, the instant he let himself look down at Karkat and see the way his face was still bruised and cut and slightly puffy, he had no choice but to remember exactly where he was and _who_ he was.

He was still Vice Admiral Eridan Ampora. He was still the Condesce’s second in command. And Karkat was nothing more than a rebel. A _mutant_.

Eridan leaned forward until he was close enough to rest his chin in between Karkat’s horns. It was a bit awkward, hunched over as he was, but he didn’t think he’d ever be given another chance. Karkat obviously hated him now. And honestly, why shouldn’t he? Eridan had done terrible things in the name of the Empire. He’d tortured innocent people, butchered whoever stood in his path without mercy. He’d done _so much worse_ than that. Even if Karkat was willing to work toward forgiving him, he wouldn’t have the time to fully repair the damage. In a little more than a day his time would be up, and the Condesce would most likely have him taken away and used as a bargaining chip.

_This is so fucked._

Eridan tilted his head down and buried his face in Karkat’s hair. “Pity you,” he mumbled, because he didn’t think he’d get to say it aloud while he was awake without being clawed across the face. “Even after all these years, Kar, I swear I do. I’ll do everythin’ I can to protect you.” He pressed his lips to the tip of one horn. Moved down to his forehead, placing a light kiss there as well.

Then Karkat shifted, and Eridan froze when he saw a hint of scarlet peeking out from beneath a curtain of thick black hair.  

“Uh,” Eridan started, “I can explain—!“

Karkat sneered up at him, obviously dazed from the treatment Eridan had been giving his horns. “Fuckass, who said you could stop?”

He blanched. “Kar…?”

He rumbled out a sound halfway between a purr and a growl, burrowing further down into the pile. Definitely horn-dazed, to be acting so affectionate.

Eridan hesitantly returned his hand to Karkat’s head, thumbing at the bases of his horns and gulping uncomfortably when he heard the answering chirp. “Are you feelin’ better?”

Karkat just scrunched up his features adorably. “I feel like I haven’t seen my moirail in a sweep.“

Ah, that explained it. He was probably overwhelmed, longing for pale physical contact, subdued by the gratuitous horn-grabbing and desperate enough to take it from _him_ of all trolls. He would have been flattered that Karkat was willing to be this vulnerable in front of him if not for the dark circumstances.

Karkat’s features fell suddenly, and Eridan realized he’d been silent for a few moments to long. “Sorry,” he muttered. He shrank back slightly. “I guess it’s a little selfish of me, yelling at you and then trying to get you to comfort me when I’m missing Gamzee.”

Eridan winced. That was yet another thing that was going to have to be addressed—the fact that Karkat was apparently still Gamzee’s moirail, which meant that technically the two of them should be shipped off world together to the front lines. That was how things typically went for purples. This time, though…he wasn’t sure what would happen.

“Sorry,” Karkat muttered again. “You can leave if you want. Or I can leave, I guess, since this is your room.”

“No!” Eridan yelped, shaking himself out of his momentary stupor. “No, Kar, you can stay here as long as you like. I was just surprised, that’s all. If you want, I can…help you out?” He felt dirty even as he said it. It was his fault Karkat was in this situation, and now he was going to force him to cheat on his moirail?

Karkat stared at him helplessly. Mumbled, “No, forget I said anything. Can’t do that to Gamzee.”

“No,” Eridan agreed with a relieved sigh, “I guess you can’t. I could still sit with you, though, if you want. I don’t think that would be too much.”

Karkat eyed him hesitantly. The pile shifted around where his hands would be, and Eridan guessed that he was clenching his fists. “N-no,” he agreed in a hushed, defeated tone. “If…if you’re willing, then…”

Eridan gave a silent nod, then watched as Karkat started to extricate himself from the pile. As more and more of him appeared, Eridan had to bite back a sympathetic chirp. Every movement looked stiff and pained, and there were still traces of scarlet kissing the outer layers of his bandages. He was shirtless, too, which just revealed the mangled mess that was his stomach and the slight swelling in the space between his hipbones. He knew what that meant, knew Karkat’s fucked up biology, but there was no way they could talk about that now. There were more important things.

Karkat held out an arm to him silently, and Eridan curled into him in a heartbeat.

It was so _nice._ Karkat was a warm, comfortable presence against his side, pressed snug under his arm, and once again he found himself overwhelmed with memories of the past, of when this was a normal thing that would happen between them.

“This changes nothing,” Karkat muttered, and Eridan could practically _feel_ his embarrassment, his anger. “I don’t forgive you. This is only out of necessity.”

Eridan’s heart dropped a little. “I know.” He wrapped his other arm around Karkat when the little troll leaned harder into him, resting his chin back between his nubby horns. “Hey, Kar?”

He hummed tiredly.

“I just need to tell you…I really don’t want to do any of this.” Karkat tensed, but Eridan reached out and sealed a hand lightly over his mouth before he could get going. “No, let me talk. I know you don’t want to believe me because I’m not sneakin’ you out of here like you want, but this really is the last thing I want to happen. I don’t want any harm to come to you, I swear. And…whatever happens next, I want to tell you that I’m gonna do whatever I can to make sure you come out of this alive.”

Karkat didn’t answer, even when Eridan took his hand away. He just curled closer, bumping his horns to the seadweller’s flesh, and stayed completely silent. Unwilling to speak, no doubt.

Eridan let out a defeated sigh. But a moment later his ears perked up as Karkat murmured, “Why did you do it?”

“Do what?” he asked, confused.

Karkat fidgeted, and Eridan was pressed so closely to him that he could feel it. “You left me,” he rasped. “Without saying goodbye. Without telling me where you were going. We fell asleep together, and when I woke up you were gone. Why did you do it?”

“I…didn’t want you to hurt.”

“What the fuck is _that_ supposed to mean?”

Eridan shoved his face down into Karkat’s hair so he wouldn’t have to look at him. “I just thought it would hurt less if you didn’t know I was leavin’. Like, you could enjoy our last night together without knowin’ what was about to happen. I hoped it would make things easier.”

He expected Karkat to shove him away at any moment, to yell and scream and kick and tell him again that he was an idiot. But that didn’t happen. Instead, Karkat just sighed and curled his fingers into the collar of his shirt. “I fucking hated you for that. Sometimes I still have the nightmares, and I wake up like it’s happening all over again. The same falling sensation in my stomach, over and over and over.”

He’d felt the same thing. On bad days, he’d wake up and grope for Karkat lying beside him before realizing that he was dead. Or apparently, as he now realized, in hiding on Alternia. “I never stopped feelin’ it either. You said you didn’t believe me, but I really did pity you back then. More than anyone else.”

“Yeah,” was the begrudging response. “I pitied you too, back before all this went down.”

“And…now?” He was almost afraid of the response.

Karkat looked away sharply. “That’s privileged information, fuckass.”

“I’m not hearin’ a no.”

“You’re not hearing a _yes_ , either!”

Warmth surged in Eridan’s chest. _He hadn’t said no_. He hadn’t denied that he still pitied him, and that was a start. Even if nothing could ever come of it, even if Karkat would never be willing to fall into a quadrant with him again, he could have this moment at the very least to hold him. “I always kept my red quadrant open for you, you know.”

“Y-you…” Karkat trailed off with a furious blush.

He smiled, sharp teeth peeking out over his lips. “I turned down quite a few high-rankin’ members of the Empire for you, you know.”

“Yeah right! As if anyone but me would want your crusty ass!”

“I’ll have you know that Fleet Captain Serket herself spent a good chunk of time pursuin’ my black quadrant, and more than one Commander went after my red.”

“What, because of your _rank?_ What are you again? The Vice Admiral?”

“It was ‘cause of my charmin’ personality, nothin’ less!”

“Well of _course_ they’d say that, they wanted influence!”

“Fuck you, Kar, you don’t know what they wanted! How do you know they weren’t pinin’ after my goddamn _golden_ personality?”

“Because I _know_ you _,_ fuckass, and I know there’s not a scrap of _golden personality_ to be found in that empty head of yours!”

Eridan cuffed him over the ear with a teasing growl. “Rude!”

“Says the guy that thought taking off in the dead of night was going to _help_ me.”

He winced. “Kar, I…I’m really sorry about that.”

A sigh. Then, “I know you are. You’re a tremendous idiot.”

“And you pity me for it?”

Something flickered across Karkat’s face. Affection, maybe, for a split second before it disappeared in a flood of sorrow and longing. The mood dropped instantly. “Talk about pity if I manage to survive the next couple of days. How long until you have to tell the Condesce about me, again?”

“Ah…it’s around one day now.”

Karkat’s eyes locked onto the ground. “Oh. I…I see.”

Silence fell for a moment after that, Eridan watching Karkat fidget nervously. “Kar?” he said at last. “I wasn’t lyin’. I really am gonna try and stop anythin’ from happenin’ to you.”

The smaller troll just pressed closer to him, fingertips scrabbling for purchase on the slick material of his shirt. “I believe you, you moron. But the fact still remains that it’s my fucking _kismesis_ leading the rebellion against the same Empire that wrecked the twelve of us and forced us to our knees, the same Empire that wants to shove my moirail out to the front lines to slaughter everyone in his path.”

Eridan’s heart twanged with grief. “I could protect you. If you told me where Sol was hidin’, I could—“

“He’s my kismesis, Eridan. And I’m not selling him out to you no matter what you do, so you might as well contact the Condesce here and now and let her know I’m here.”

“You really won’t do it?”

“I’ll die first.”

_Yeah,_ Eridan thought bitterly, _you might._ “The Condesce might do a lot worse than kill you, Kar. You know that, right?”

He nodded. “I know.”

“I’m not contactin’ her early, either. I’ll keep at you until the last minute.”

Another nod, this one tired and miserable. “Twenty-four hours, Ampora. Then you contact her.”

_That’s right_. Night was drawing near, which put them at almost exactly one day. But so long as they still had time…

“Kar?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I, ah…hold you? Like this? Just for a while.”

Karkat narrowed his eyes until only a slit of red was visible. “I told you, I’m still not going to forgive you for this.”

“I know. Just…please?” He made those puppy dog eyes that had always been so hard for Karkat to resist in the past.

They didn’t fail him. Karkat visibly melted, shoulders slumping a little as he relented, “Fine. Just don’t be a fucking creep about it, got it? We’re not matesprits.”

The words hurt him more than he was willing to admit. “Just come here, would you?”

Karkat curled closer, and for just a moment Eridan could almost imagine that none of it was real. But it _was_ real, no matter how much he wanted to deny it, and his worries for the future followed him into his dreams, Karkat shaking lightly at his side.

 

* * *

 

 

 

Karkat’s time was up.

Eridan stood at the helm, Rohdan at his shoulder, the large screen on the wall before them displaying a white symbol telling them that their request for contact was waiting to be accepted. Soon enough, the Condesce would be on the other end of the screen.

“So much for getting the information out of him yourself,” Rohdan sneered. “What did you do, coddle him for three days straight? I never heard a single scream coming out of your room!”

“Fuck off!” Eridan snapped, shoving at him in a rather unprofessional way. “Not like you had any luck with _your_ prisoners!”

“No, but at least I wasn’t coddling them like an overprotective lusus!”

The white symbol blinked suddenly. A signal was being established.

“You’ll tell her the full truth,” Rohdan sneered. “No holding anything back, or I’ll let her know that you’re lying to her.”

Eridan would have snapped out a vicious retort, but that was the moment the connection finally went through and the Condesce appeared in all her regal glory.

Eridan dropped to one knee immediately, a light blush dusting his cheeks. A thud echoed behind him as Rohdan did the same. “Your Imperious Condescension,” he greeted formally.

“Fins!” was the answering chirp. “How good ta be seain’ you again! Been aboat two weeks since I sent you out, hasn’t it? What took you so glubbin’ long?”

“I had a bit of—“

“Get up, fins! Can’t hear a word you’re sayin’ from there!”

He scrambled to obey, feeling a smug sense of satisfaction that Rohdan had to remain kneeling at his feet. “We haven’t managed to track down the rebellion itself, but we do have some rather valuable information.”

The Condesce narrowed her eyes just slightly. Flicked her wrist in a silent order for him to continue.

Eridan had to take a moment to compose himself. _This was it._ The moment he betrayed Karkat and sealed his fate, be it for better or worse. Probably worse. _Definitely_ worse.

“Somefin wrong, fins?”

He cleared his throat. “Apologies, Empress. Shortly after landing here we found ourselves attacked by a team of rebels. We put a few of ‘em down, chased a few off, but we did manage to capture five. Two died during interrogation.”

“They give you anyfin interestin’?”

“From what we can tell, there are about a hundred of them spread out across the main city. Their goal is to take you down and claim ownership of the fleet. Most of them are children, but there are a few adults. Their leader is Sollux Captor, a yellowblood psionic with an extra set of horns and mismatched eyes.

The Condesce raised a brow. “I’m impressed. That’s quite the useful bit a’ information you’ve got there.”

Something nudged at his ankles. Rohdan had kicked him.

“We haven’t yet managed to learn their location,” Eridan continued, and he was proud that he managed to keep himself from growling. “We still have three prisoners, though, and…” He gulped. “One of them is connected to their leader directly.”

“Oh?” Her expression turned dark, thoughtful. Eridan didn’t like it one bit.

There was another nudge from Rohdan.

Quickly, he collected himself. _I have to do this. I have to tell her about Karkat._ “He told me his name was Karkat Vantas. He’s a mutant who managed to escape the career assignment drones by goin’ into hidin’.”

“Reel-ly? What hemochrome?”

“Candy red.”

Her strange, almost knowing expression twisted again, growing deeper, darker than before. “Vantas, you said? Kankri?”

“Karkat.”

“Ah…” One carefully manicured hand rose to brush through her hair. It was an odd gesture, one Eridan had never seen out of her before. “I suppose it has been about that long, hasn’t it?”

Eridan frowned, unnerved. “What?”

The Condesce ignored him. “What’s his relation to the rebel leader?”

“He’s his kismesis.”

Silence. The Condesce just stared at nothing, claws scraping delicately along her chin, her cheeks, her neck. Thinking.

“I’ve tried to get Captor’s location out of him,” Eridan continued, “but he’s proven resilient. Rohdan couldn’t get it out of him either. I can keep workin’ on him if you like, but…” And here he paused, because actually saying this, admitting it to her, was a ridiculous degree of _difficult._ “I don’t think he’ll give it up. He’s real tough.”

“Sounds aboat right, for a Vantas.”

_What…?_

“What do you propose we do?” Rohdan spoke up from behind him. And _god_ he was bold, speaking to the Condesce when he hadn’t been spoken to, but she’d always seemed to like him. She’d taken to his cruel streak, Eridan imagined. “Continue to torture him, or something worse? I think I can break him with my powers if I’m allowed to get close, but Eridan has refused to let me work on him for the past three days.”

Eridan winced, ready for the questioning to begin, but the Condesce didn’t even blink. “I want you to prepare for launch.”

_Oh no._

“I expect you to have that ship docked and waitin’ for inspection in two rotations.”

“But Empress, what about the nasty little mutantblood?”

She bared her teeth in a dangerous grin. “Bring ‘im to me. The rebel leader’s kismesis deserves _special_ attention, don’t you think? Besides, I’m sure _I_ can get that pesky information outta ‘im.”

_No._ This was his worst nightmare. Delivering Karkat to the Condesce on a silver platter…

“What about the other prisoners?” Rohdan asked.

“There are three of ‘em, yeah?” She didn’t want for confirmation. “You’re bringin’ the mutie to me, leavin’ two left. So kill one, and let the other one go runnin’ back to the rebellion.”

“Empress?” Rohdan gasped, just as Eridan snapped, _“What?”_

She smirked. “You heard me, fins. Let one of ‘em know that we have their leader’s kismesis and send ‘im back home. I’m _shore_ he’ll be a dear and let his friends know that we’re comin’ for ‘em. Shake ‘em up a little before we swoop in and obliterate ‘em all.”

Scare Sollux. Let him know that Karkat was out of his reach.

“Got it, fins?”

Eridan bowed to her. “Of course. I’ll make sure it’s taken care of.” The words flowed easy, spilling forth with practiced ease after four sweeps of obeying her every command, but on the inside he was twisting up into knots. The reality of the situation hadn’t quite set in yet, but it was starting to dawn on him that he’d been ordered to _give Karkat to the Condesce._

“Good,” she purred. “I expect you here in two rotations. Don’t disappoint me.”

The screen went dead, and Eridan was left staring into darkness.

 


	12. Call of Destiny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Eridan and Karkat approach the Condesce, Sollux finally begins to understand what his future holds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooh, spring break! Because I have a ton of time off I'm going to be posting an additional chapter on Wednesday, so tune back in then for the end of Act 1 of this story!
> 
> This week's chapter is [Call of Destiny](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9Ux9XRa-ww) by Josh Karmer

Eridan sat silently in the pile beside Karkat, watching the tiny, pre-molt form of his matesprit as he slept. A week prior the Condesce had come to him and told him in no uncertain terms that he was to join her as Vice Admiral or die. He would be Dualscar's replacement. Now here he was, knowing that he had to leave tonight to join the fleet, and hating himself for it. He hadn't told Karkat. The other troll knew that the Condesce had spoken with Eridan, knew that he was going to leave soon, but he didn't know that it was going to be tonight. Eridan had decided not to tell him, hoping that the pain would be lessened that way. Maybe, if Karkat was mad at him for lying, it would overshadow the pain just a little.

Karkat shifted in his sleep, pushing his cheek into Eridan's palm, and his heart cracked wide open.  _I'll probably never see him again,_ he realized, and biting back a sob proved to be impossible.  _He'll never be allowed to join the fleet, and there's no way I can influence anyone into letting him in. I'm too young, haven't even seen a real battle, and my title alone isn't going to let me sneak him into the fleet with me. Not a mutant like him. Not a child._

His communicator beeped quietly at him. It was time to go.

Eridan got up. Leaned over, brushing his fingertips across Karkat's face.

"Er'dan…?" the smaller troll murmured sleepily. "Wha…?"

"It's nothin', Kar," he whispered. "You're dreamin', go back to sleep."

Karkat blinked up at him. Mumbled, "Okay." Then he rolled over, putting his back to Eridan, and closed his eyes again. His breathing evened out.

Eridan bit down on his tongue as another sob threatened to escape. "I'm so sorry, Kar," he managed in a low croak, though he knew his matesprit couldn't hear. "I'm gonna miss you so much…"

His communicator beeped again.

Quickly, quietly, Eridan pushed himself up off the bed and grabbed the bag that contained his clothing and other assorted trinkets, then slung Ahab's Crosshairs over one shoulder. He reached a hand up to make sure his scarlet piercing was secure. A light kiss was pressed to Karkat's forehead, then to his cheek, then to his lips.  _Pity you, Kar. So goddamn much._

He straightened. Turned. Then he was slipping from the room, blinking back tears as he went to meet his fate.

 

* * *

 

Eridan always had a lot to do before launch. He was the goddamn captain of the ship, so it was to be expected. He had to take up the helm, collect diagnostic reports on all the different sections of the ship to make sure nothing was working incorrectly, check that all of his officers were in their correct places in order to monitor the takeoff process and make the jump to the flagship, go snarl at Rohdan to do his job as commander if he was being difficult, and basically just run around the entire ship like an idiot. Today, though, there was another step that had to be added to his plan.

He watched as Rohdan disappeared into the third cell to kill the prisoner inside, as the Condesce had ordered. That prisoner was the unlucky one, the one deemed more deadly and more of a loss to the rebellion. The other one, the one hiding out in the second cell, would be sent back to Sollux with a message.

Steeling himself, Eridan opened the cell door and stepped inside.

The troll looked like he'd seen hell. Eridan had largely removed himself from the interrogation process after reuniting with Karkat, so he hadn't yet seen the extent of the damage Rohdan had done. Now that he was seeing it, he felt a little sick to his stomach.

_I've seen worse,_ he reminded himself, remembering what happened to enemy combatants they managed to get their hands on during their conquest of other solar systems. It was true; he  _had_ seen worse, but something about the situation was making him woozy. Maybe it was just knowing that this was one of Karkat's friends (or an acquaintance, at least), and that he was about to dump the poor, mangled wreck out on the streets and make him claw his way back to Sollux to tell him that Karkat was in the claws of the Condesce, the one person that could torture him better than both Eridan and Rohdan combined.

"Hey," Eridan snapped, nudging the troll on the table with the heel of his boot. "You awake yet, gutterblood?"

A pair of teal eyes cracked open just barely. Not a gutterblood, then. One of Terezi's caste.

"Today's your lucky day," he went on. He reached down and snapped the locks off of the cuffs at his wrists, then at his ankles. "We're lettin' you go."

The troll's eyes widened a little. Still weak, but a little more alert now. "What?"

Eridan ignored him. "You got a name, kid?"

"It's…uh, it's Synlan."

"Synlan." He tasted the name on his tongue. "Well, Syn, here's now this is gonna work. I'm gonna let you walk outta here with your life, and you're gonna go runnin' back to Captor with a message from the Empire."

Immediately Synlan's expression twisted with suspicion. "That so?"

"Yes, it is fuckin' so!"

"Hmph. What's your message, then,  _Vice Admiral?"_

He bit back a snarl.  _We need him alive, damn it! Can't lose my temper._ "You're gonna go to Sol and tell 'im that we know you're there, we know how many of you there are, and that we're going to destroy all of you one by one until there's nothin' left."

A sneer. "That all?"

"Not hardly!" he spat. "Lastly, and most importantly, you're gonna tell him that Karkat Vantas is in the hands of the Condesce."

He recognized the name, Eridan could tell. The teal of his eyes went just a little wider, his entire form bristled with tension, and his hands clenched into painful-looking fists at his sides. Good. He knew the meaning of the message, then. Understood what it would do to Sollux. The game they were playing.

"Think you can handle that, rebel scum?"

Synlan glared. Bared his teeth. Dipped his head just slightly.

"Good." Eridan turned to the door, barking out, "Guards, get the fuck in here!"

It only took a moment for two of his soldiers to appear in the doorway. "Yes, Vice Admiral?"

He waved a hand in Synlan's direction. "Take this swine and throw 'im out on the streets. Make sure he  _lives."_

There wasn't even a heartbeat of hesitation before the two guards were reaching for Synlan, ignoring his pained screech at being jostled so horribly. Some of his bones audibly popped, cracked, creaked under the pressure. The screams faded quickly, though, as the guards hauled the rebel up to the elevator and vanished behind closed doors, no doubt to take Synlan to the surface. He'd find his way to Sollux, tell him what had happened, and that would be that.

Now…

Eridan stepped into the lift and took himself back up to the helm. He had to be the one to direct liftoff. After that, though, he would go back to Karkat. He hadn't gotten to speak with him after his last conversation with the Condesce, so he didn't know yet that his fate had been sealed. He knew, though, had probably always known, that the Condesce would get her claws into him eventually.

_No time for thinking about that now. Have to initiate takeoff as quickly as possible if I want to make the deadline the Condesce set._

He reached the helm. Stepped forward and took up the ship's controls, all spread out on a main panel in front of the captain's chair. Pressed a whole lot of buttons.

"We're liftin' off!" he snapped into the intercom, though everyone on the ship had already been informed that they'd be leaving in the morning, as soon as the twin suns rose above the horizon. "Prepare for launch in three, two…"

The thrusters flared, the engine purred to life, and the ship jolted as it began to rise into sky and fold up the landing gear.

In two days time, they would be at the Condesce's front doorstep.

 

* * *

 

"Sollux, man, I just got a message from Synlan!"

Sollux's head jerked up, entire body going stiff as a board as Ladcai's voice broke the painful silence. The two of them had been sitting in the lab for hours, doing everything in their power to figure out what their next plan should be, until Ladcai's computer went off in a series of rapid pings. "Synlan messaged you?" Sollux echoed, stunned. "What the hell? I thought he was dead, swept up by Eridan's men!"

"Well apparently he made it out, because he just told me that we need to go see him! He says he has information for us."

"And how do we know this isn't a trap? If he was captured by the Empire…"

Ladcai threw his hands up, exclaiming, "So what if it's a trap? We  _need_  information, dude, and Synlan has been in the heart of Vice Admiral Ampora's ship! He has to know something about what happened to the others, and something about how we can fight back. And beside that, Farlan's with him now. They're both hiding out in their usual haunt, so you'd think that if the Empire was watching him they would already have burst in and snatched up the both of them, discovering the tunnels in the process."

He had a point. And if Synlan was alive…maybe the others had made it out too. He had to know. "You said they're holed up in their usual place?"

"By the sound of it, yeah."

"Then we're going there now. Follow me."

Ladcai didn't waste a moment. He stood, Sollux stood, and the two of them slipped off to find the entrance to the tunnels without a word.

The journey didn't take long. Synlan and Farlan lived together not a ten minute walk from Sollux's base, which meant Sollux had just enough time to torture himself with sheer  _concern_  along the way. The root of his concern, though, didn't rest with the twins.

It rested with Karkat.

He couldn't find Karkat anywhere. Gamzee hadn't seen him in what was nearing three weeks. Aradia hadn't heard anything about him. He'd even asked Kanaya out of desperation, whom Karkat had been known to commune with from time to time, but she hadn't heard a peep either. All of Sollux's attempts to message him proved fruitless. His hive looked untouched, as if he hadn't been there in nearly a month—which was, coincidentally, about the amount of time he'd been missing.

Needless to say, he was starting to grow more than just concerned. It was beginning to look like something had happened to him, like the drones had caught him or a patrol of troops had managed to sink their claws into him, or he'd just finally had enough and jumped off some remote cliff somewhere, and Sollux was about half a second from flipping his shit out of pure worry. He didn't know what he'd do if he'd lost Karkat. He loved him with almost painful ferocity, and the thought of having to give him up…

He brought himself back to reality with a sharp shake of the head.  _No,_ he couldn't think like that. Karkat was okay out there, somewhere. He  _had_  to be okay. He was just hiding out somewhere, trying to catch a break from everything. That was all. Nothing was wrong.  _Nothing._

So then why did he feel so uneasy?

Ladcai caught his attention with an excited, "Here we are! God, I hope Synlan is okay."

Sollux gave a murmur of agreement, watching as his second in command pushed open the door at the end of the tunnel and stepped through into the hidden home shared by the twins. Sollux followed soon after.

It looked  _normal._ The halls were just as he remembered them, twisting and confusing and barely lit, framed pictures lining the walls, trinkets sitting on tiny tables that rested in too-large alcoves. When the two of them emerged into the main room, not a single thing was out of place.

Farlan was waiting for them. He was sitting on the couch, staring at his knees intently, and he didn't notice he was being watched until Sollux and Ladcai were standing right in front of him.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, leaping to his feet. "Yo, Sollux, Ladcai! You're here!"

"Where's Synlan?" Sollux asked, jumping straight to the point. "He really came back? He's alive?"

Farlan gave an anxious nod. "He's really beat up, Sollux. Looks like he went through a goddamn blender."

"If the Vice Admiral got his hands on him, then I don't doubt it." Sollux glanced to the staircase. He could see blood crusting along the banister, proof that an injured troll had been hauled up there not too long ago. "Take us to him."

Farlan nodded. He looked nervous. "Yeah, just…take it easy on him, okay? He won't say anything about it, but I think he's been through a lot."

Ladcai gave him a comforting pat. "Don't worry dude, we're not gonna hurt your moirail. Right, fearless leader?"

"Yeah," Sollux agreed, but he was too focused on the staircase to really pay attention to what he was agreeing to. "Right, not gonna hurt him, whatever. Can we see him now?"

Farlan shot him a suspicious look. Then, "Fine. Be careful, and I won't have to throw you out."

Then they were off, up the stairs and into one of the side rooms, and there Synlan was. Stretched out flat over a large, comfortable pile of soft fabrics and pillows.

"Syn?" Farlan whispered, taking the lead in approaching the downed troll. "I brought Sollux, like you asked. Ladcai is here too. Do you think you can tell them what you told me?"

Synlan gave a weak groan. Tried to move, then flopped back down limply. He really did look like shit, Sollux noted. There were lacerations all up and down his arms and legs, crisscrossing his bare chest and lacing up and around his neck, finally trailing off when they reached his hairline. It looked like someone had just taken a knife to him and made a single, wrapping slice around his entire body. There were other wounds, too—bruises and gashes and places where bones were clearly broken beneath the skin—but they were mostly hidden by the teal oozing from every inch of his body. Farlan had obviously done his best to clean up the blood and disinfect the slices, but there was only so much that could be done given their limited technology.

Farlan knelt beside Synlan with a sympathetic wince. "I…I think I'm going to grab some more antiseptic. I'll bring some bandages when I come back, yeah? Get you patched up." He ran his fingers through his moirail's hair. They caught in the bloody tangles.

Sollux stayed quiet as Farlan rose and brushed past him to grab the necessary medical supplies. His heart ached at the deep, almost world-shattering devastation etched on the tealblood's face. He couldn't imagine what it was like for a troll to watch their moirail suffering so horribly while they stood by, helpless to ease their pain. And from the looks of things, Synlan wasn't doing well. If he died…

Synlan coughed, the sound harsh and rasping. "Sollux, man," he choked out, "get over here so I can get this over with. I'm ah…not sure how much longer I'll be around."

Immediately, Sollux dropped to his knees beside the pile. All suspicions of this being a trap were gone as he murmured, "Synlan…what happened? Do you know anything of the others?"

The troll cringed. "Sollux, I…" He trailed off to cough again, miserably. "They only let me go so I could crawl back here and give you a message, so that's what I'm going to do."

He gave a gentle nod. "You can tell me now. I'm listening."  _Please, before something happens and you pass out…I have to know what happened!_

"They…they killed everyone else. Killed Marlit and her gang, killed every rebel they managed to capture. But not…after strangling information out of them like…like  _animals._ " More coughing. Blood lapped at the insides of his lips. Stained his teeth. "Only let me go so I could say…Ampora had a message…for you specifically."

"Me?" Sollux echoed sharply. "He knows I'm behind the rebellion?"

"Yeah…someone cracked. Told him everything but your location. They know how many of us there are…who's leading us…everything."

Horror settled in the pit of his stomach, thick and heavy. "Synlan. What was the message?"

The troll's expression crumpled, and Sollux knew before he even heard it that it was going to break him.

"Sollux…they have Karkat."

His mind went blank. "What?"

"That was the message. Eridan wanted you to know that…that Karkat Vantas is in the hands of the Condesce. A prisoner."

_The Empire has Karkat._ Sollux stared in a mixture of shock and resigned understanding, letting the words roll around in his head to get the feel of them.  _Karkat, a mutant with candy red blood, is being held by a bunch of hemonormative casteists. By Eridan Ampora, the person who sold him out to join the Condesce. He is the Empire's bargaining chip._

"A bargaining chip," Ladcai breathed, echoing Sollux's thoughts.

Synlan spoke again. His voice was thick with blood. "They…figured out who he was. That he was your kismesis, I mean. They wanted…to take him back…to the ship." This time, his cough was more of a gag. Teal dripped down his chin.

"The ship," Ladcai echoed. "The flagship?"

"I don't know," Synlan had to admit. "They just…wanted you to know…that they have him. That Ampora has him."

Sollux opened his mouth. Shut it. Forced his composure to stay firmly in place despite the storm beginning to bubble up beneath the surface. He couldn't become emotional over this, not now, not with so much riding on this conversation. "Is there anything else you know?"

Synlan gave a weak little groan. "No, I…I think that's it. If…you could just…get Farlan for me…?"

He was sure that Synlan had to know more. Identities of commanding officers, locations, other little tidbits. But…looking at him, Sollux knew that he couldn't keep him from his moirail for another moment. If Synlan was going to die, then Farlan would have to be with him. It was the least he could do.

As if on cue, Farlan reappeared in the doorway with a roll of bandages and a bottle of cleansing alcohol. "Are you done?" he asked, voice soft and weary. "If you are, then…I think I should be alone with him."

Sollux got to his feet without hesitation. "Of course. Just…if anything changes…"

Farlan gave a tight nod. "Yeah. I'll let you know what happens." Then he was ushering the two of them out of the room and closing the door behind them, no doubt preparing to tend to his injured quadrantmate.

"God," Ladcai whispered the instant they were left alone. "He's not going to die, right? I really don't want anyone else to die."

Sollux just shook his head helplessly. He was holding himself together, he thought. He was holding himself together at the seams with everything he had. He had to be strong,  _always_ had to be strong for the rebellion, he  _knew_ that, but…but  _Karkat._

Even in the beginning, he'd always feared that his kismesis would be snatched away from him by his own efforts at rebellion. The instant Karkat had begun to take his place during field missions, he'd had to force himself to accept the fact that one day, sooner or later, it was entirely likely that he would be made to face a scenario not unlike this one. He'd prepared himself for the possibility of Karkat being killed on a mission, or being captured by the on-world military. He'd had  _plans_ for when something like this happened. If Karkat was killed, he would resume field work and force himself to cope without self destructing. If he was captured, he would enlist the help of Aradia to sneak him out.

But…this was entirely different.

Karkat wasn't being held in some damp, dark section of the on-world military base. He was being held on board the Vice Admiral's ship, locked away in a high security area with no hope of escape. And what was more, that ship wasn't even on Alternia any more. He'd received word from Aradia that Eridan was scheduled to take off early that morning, had heard from her a few hours later that the ship had left as planned, which meant that Karkat was already well out of his reach. His kismesis was gone, shipped off somewhere halfway across the cosmos, and there was nothing he could do about it.

_No,_ he told himself furiously, blinking back the tiny beads of liquid trying to push their way out through his tear ducts.  _I won't cry. I can't cry over this. The rebellion needs me to be strong. Karkat is gone, but I may be able to think up a way to get him back. If the Empire has reasonable demands in exchange for his safety, or if there's some way for me to get my officers out into space in order to find him…_

It was a long shot, though, and he knew it. If the Empire intended to use Karkat as a bargaining chip, their demands would be nothing less than impossible to meet. They'd ask for Sollux to give himself up, or for secrets that couldn't be revealed, or for something else that would completely wreck them. The alternative, though—that they weren't keeping Karkat as a bargaining chip, but as a tool to break Sollux down—wasn't any better. He shuddered violently at the thought of the Empire keeping Karkat and ripping into him, broadcasting his torment and  _knowing_ that the leader of the rebellion would be driven to insanity because of it. It would work, too. He could pretend to be tough and reserved all he wanted, but Karkat meant too much to him to simply sit by and watch him be tormented. The mere thought of him curled up in some dark corner of a holding cell aboard Eridan's ship, flinching at every loud noise for fear that some dark, twisted troll was coming to torture him, made psionics crackle between his horns.

"…lux? Sollux, man, are you okay?"

He jumped, realizing that Ladcai's hands were on his shoulders, and he was leaning close in concern. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Sorry," he muttered. "Just…thinking about someone."

Ladcai's expression twisted painfully. "Your kismesis?"

He gave a mute nod.  _Karkat._

"Aww, man…" Ladcai patted him somewhat awkwardly on the shoulder. "We might be able to get him back, so don't lose hope yet, okay? We just have to wait for the Empire's next move."

Yes. There was a chance that maybe, just maybe, they could manage to get Karkat back. But if he was being realistic…

Ladcai sighed. "Okay. I'll stay here with the twins and keep an eye on them, but I think maybe you should go see Aradia. She's not being watched anymore, right? She should be able to slip away long enough to stop by the base."

A needle of relief slipped through the torrent of fear and confusion that was slowly seeping across his mind. "Yeah," he managed. "I'll do that. Thanks, Ladcai."

The troll gave him a nod and another pat on the shoulder, nudging him along. Not for the first time Sollux found himself immensely grateful that he'd happened across the older troll and recruited him when he had. There was no room for Ladcai in his quadrants, but he was his best friend nonetheless and he wasn't sure what he'd do without him.

But no—he could appreciate the other troll later. Right now, he had to go find Aradia and tell her of the most recent development in their disaster of a rebellion.

 

* * *

 

Karkat was sitting in the pile when the door opened, and immediately he knew that Eridan had returned to him. He'd already overseen the ship's takeoff sequence, it seemed, seeing as Karkat had felt the entire ship lurch beneath him and had seen the way the military base disappeared as they rose above the horizon. He didn't think they'd breached Alternia's atmosphere yet, but they had to have been getting close. It had been a few hours since they'd departed. He supposed that once they reached space, the ship would make a flash jump to the Condesce's location, and he would be used for whatever sick, twisted purpose they'd planned out for him.

"Kar?"

Right. Now wasn't the time to brood. Eridan was here.

The door slid closed at his back as Eridan stepped into the room. "Kar!" he called again, footsteps echoing as they drew closer and closer. "Ship's on autopilot now, so I can say here with you." He sat heavily on the pile. He was staying a polite distance away, at least, which was good seeing as Karkat was still furious at himself for fucking  _cuddling_ with him the night before. It wasn't his fault, he knew that—he'd been without Gamzee for what felt like years, was suffering emotionally without someone to lean on, and on top of that his fucked up biological defects were starting to cause him more pain than he could handle. His entire lower body just felt  _swollen._ Usually by now he would have gone to Sollux for help, and they would have taken care of it. Or rather, Sollux would have strapped him to the bed and tormented him until he couldn't take any more. It would be a good sort of torment, though, just because it would be  _away_ from the Condesce,  _away_ from the flagship, and  _away_ from whatever was coming next.

God, he didn't want to think about what was coming next.

"We took off," Karkat noted blandly. "Heading to the flagship?"

Eridan winced. It was the only affirmation he needed. "I…I spoke with the Condesce. Told her about you an' the others."

"And she told you to what, take me to the flagship so she could wrench the rest of the information out through any means necessary?"

"In as many words…yeah, she did." Eridan scooted a little closer and reached out so that just his fingertips were brushing Karkat's knee. It was a comforting pressure. "She asked me to bring you to her and let one of the rebels go back to Sol with a message, tellin' him that you were here."

Karkat winced. He thought about his kismesis receiving that horrible message, realizing that he was with the Empire, and he almost wanted to cry. Then he thought of Sollux delivering the message to Gamzee, his poor, dysfunctional moirail who fucking  _needed_ him, and then he really  _did_ cry, choking out a single, harsh sob that died the instant he shoved his face into his knees.

"Woah!" Eridan yelped. "Kar, are you cryin'? Oh man, come on—I told you I'm gonna keep you safe, you don't have to go and do that! You're not gonna die, not if I can help it!"

He didn't care about dying. He cared about not being there.

Eridan leaned in. "Hey…if you need it, I can hold you again."

But he wanted  _Gamzee._ He wanted to cuddle with Gamzee and push and prod at Sollux and just have a normal conversation with Aradia, wanted to sleep in his own recuperacoon and eat his normal, trashy junk food, and he  _couldn't._  He was getting further and further away from Alternia with every passing moment, and Eridan was here but he wasn't his matesprit anymore and he wasn't even sure if he  _wanted_ him as a matesprit after all he'd done.

"Kar?" Eridan whispered again, and he was forced to pull himself together for fear of looking weaker than he already was.

He glared furiously. Maybe if he looked angry enough, no one would be able to see the pain hiding just beneath the surface. "I'm fine," he ground out. "Not like I can do anything to change whatever's going to happen to me anyway, so I might as well just sit here like a moron and wait to be butchered."

There was a heavy thud as Eridan picked himself up then plopped down a little closer. He stretched out on his back and leaned his head back against the pile, exposing his throat in a sickeningly trustful way.

_He trusts me not to hurt him,_ Karkat thought bitterly.  _Trusts me not to take my claws right to his throat and kill him, then accept the consequences for offing the Vice Admiral of the Empire._ A part of him, at least, wanted to do it. A part of him wanted to just reach over and rip Eridan's throat out, spray his fishy blood all over the pile and ruin him forever. He would deserve it. He would deserve it for all the innocent people he'd killed, all the atrocities he'd committed while in service to the Condesce.

But…a larger part of himself, the part quickly stamping out such impulsive instincts, refused to let such a thing happen. He would not kill Eridan. He saw this clearly. Some stupid,  _twisted_ part of his mind still refused to cause him harm.

He could only hope that Eridan wasn't lying when he said he felt the same.

_I'd love for things to go back to the way they were before. If I could just take you with me, force you to leave the Empire behind…I think I would do it. But the way things are now…I'll end up dead or forced into servitude aboard the flagship, and there's nothing you're going to be able to do to stop it. I don't care that you're the Vice Admiral, Eridan, you're not powerful enough to sway the Condesce. She'll see me for what I am—a bargaining chip. A tool she can use to draw Sollux out. And once she realizes that it's not going to work, that Sollux has always been prepared to give me up for the good of the rebellion, she'll have me slaughtered. You won't stop it. You can't. Then, when it's all over, you'll be just as twisted as I am now. And what's worse is that you_ still _won't stop serving the Condesce, not even then. Not until she gets you killed._

"We have a while until we dock at the flagship," Eridan said. "We're free to spend it however we like."

Karkat snorted. "How exactly do you propose we pass the time? I don't suppose you have a fucking  _rec room_ on this tin can you call a ship."

"Excuse you, this is one of the most esteemed vessels in the fleet!"

"But does it have a rec room?"

Eridan offered him an adorable pout, admitting, "No. But I have a bunch of books and movies and shit, so there!"

_Movies._ For just a heartbeat, he saw himself stretched out on the couch with Eridan flopped over him, a crappy romcom droning in the distance. But then it was gone. "You really shouldn't be treating a prisoner with so much civility."

"You're not my prisoner."

"Oh  _really._  Then why am I being held here against my will, fuckass?"

He winced. "Ah…fair point. What I mean to say is, I don't see you as a prisoner. You have to stay here because of… _stuff_ …but I'm not gonna treat you like garbage, 'cause you're not. I'm gonna treat you like a troll, not a lump of furniture."

It was nice in principle, but what was going to happen once the Empress  _ordered_ him to treat him like a lump of garbage?

Eridan seemed to notice his unease. "Somethin' you're worried about?"

"I'm worried about a lot of things, idiot."

"Yeah, but…specifically?"

Karkat glared at the ground. "Is it true that the Condesce can take over the minds of her victims?"

"Uh…" Eridan blinked, looking confused. "What do you mean?"

"Everyone knows the legend, Ampora. The Condesce gets her hands around your horns, looks you in the eyes, and  _bam!_  You're totally helpless to disobey her. Is it true?"

He shook his head, bemused. "Kar, I have no clue what you're glubbin' on about. Where did you hear that load of hogwash?"

"Wha—everyone knows about it!" he spluttered. "It's a legend passed along by everyone, and—!"

"Passed along by  _wigglers,_ you mean," came the amused response. "There's no magic way the Condesce can just wrench control from you with eye contact. It's telepathy, just like Vris has. She still has to work to get into your mind."

"I grew up hearing that! There's no way it's not fucking true!"

"It's just not, Kar! I dunno who told you that, but the Condesce isn't fuckin' magical! Nothin' she has is any different from a power a normal troll could have. She's just, like…an amalgamation of troll abilities. Sol and his psionics, Vris an' her mind control, Tav and his whole communin' with animals thing…it's all normal stuff, just really powerful."

He was skeptical of that. But still…he supposed there were more important things to worry about. He was going to have to meet the Condesce, regardless of whether or not she had enhanced mind control powers that could be activated just by making eye contact.

An irritated growl started up deep in his chest, rumbling up and just barely managing to peter out before it broke open air. "Fine! We're getting off topic anyway."

Eridan blinked. "Oh, right! So, what do you want to do while we're travelin' to the flagship?"

"Honestly?" Karkat flexed his arms, then his legs, testing out their strength. He'd had about four days to start recovering from his encounters with Rohdan, but he was still stiff and injured and out of practice. If he was going to face the Condesce, he wanted to be in shape. Even if there wasn't going to be much of a fight. "I just kind of want to practice with my sickles and get back in shape."

"But you're hurt!"

"And the only way I'll get any better is to practice!"

"No, the only way you'll get any better is to fuckin'  _rest!"_

"You asked me what I wanted to do and I told you. So are you going to listen to me or not?"

Eridan hesitated. "Well…I guess you could do a little practicin', but you have to promise me that you won't push yourself too far! Rohdan really did a number on you, Kar, and I'd hate for you to aggravate all your injuries."

"I'm feeling way better already," Karkat reminded him, and it was true. Eridan had him sleeping in high quality sopor now, and the healing properties had done wonders for the numerous lacerations strewn up and down his body. "I can handle it."

"I'm watchin' anyway, just to be sure."

He scowled. "Like hell you are!"

"Either I watch you train to make sure you aren't hurtin' yourself, or I throw you into my 'coon and lock the lid until we reach the flagship. Your choice."

"But—!"

"No buts, Kar, you're hurt, an' I have to look out for you! I promised I would protect you and I  _will,_ damn it!"

Just like that, his voice died in his throat. Eridan…was he really so determined?

"I know you don't believe me when I say I'm going to stop you from gettin' hurt," Eridan grumbled, crossing his arms, "so I'm just gonna have to  _make_ you believe me. No hurtin' yourself practicin' with your sickles, no skippin' nights of sleep, no avoidin' eatin' every day, and absolutely  _no_ gettin' killed aboard the flagship!"

"Why do you even care? I'm not your matesprit."

"No, but you're a fuckin' idiot if you think I stopped pityin' you just because you 'died' all that time ago!"

He'd heard it before. Eridan had said it a thousand times before. It shouldn't make him feel all… _bubbly._

Eridan deflated just a little when he didn't get a response. He let the back of his head hit the pile again, leaving his front completely vulnerable, and just let his arms fall limp to his sides. Completely unguarded. "We've had this conversation before, so let's just skip to the end. I love you. End of story."

He opened his mouth, ready to snap out a response, then clacked his teeth back together when he couldn't come up with anything to say. Then, finally, "So what?"

"So I'll find a way to sway the Empress into keepin' you alive."

He doubted that.

"Come on," Eridan sighed. "Let's not keep doin' this. Can we just agree to shut up about the whole thing until we reach the ship? Then I can prove I'm serious, and you'll realize I'm not pullin' you leg, and we can—"

"Can what?" Karkat snorted. "Ride off into the sunset, hair flowing in the breeze? Have our romcom perfect ending? Be together forever? Because  _news flash_ , Eridan, that's not going to happen! Even in a perfect world where you somehow manage to escape with me and we work out all our problems and end up living a happy life, what happens then? Eventually we'd have to come to terms with the fact that you're a seadweller and I'm a mutant and  _one_  of us is going to live at least a few hundred sweeps longer than the other!" He rolled over, putting Eridan at his back. He couldn't look at him any longer. "Everyone always talks about the happy ending, but no one seems to realize that life doesn't just  _stop_  once you reach it. That's the problem."

For once it seemed he'd actually managed to shut Eridan up. The troll just shifted lightly in the pile beside him, making the fabric shift, and was still.

Then, "The happy endin' is a bit too far off to worry about right now, I think. How about we just focus on the next few days, make sure neither of us gets our heads chopped off, and then go from there?"

Idiotic. He was  _still_  determined to do this.

Eridan nudged at his back with the tips of his horns. "Trust me. Just this once."

_I trusted you sweeps ago, and look where it got us._

"Karkat."

He jolted.

"I can tell what you're thinkin' you know. That you trusted me a long time ago, and I left without sayin' a word. And I  _know_ that was wrong, I do. But this isn't the past, this is  _now,_ and I think both of us have changed a lot. So we're gonna go to the flagship, and we're gonna face the Condesce, and we're gonna take whatever she tells us in stride. But most importantly, I'm gonna save you. Somehow, I  _promise,_  I'm gonna save you."

Something inside him cracked. Barely a hairline fissure in a construct created by sweeps of pain and confusion and hatred, but enough to let out just a little of the red he'd been bottling up in his heart since he'd first met Eridan, back when they were just stupid kids without a care in the world.

"Kar?"

He rolled back over. Swallowed hard. "Eridan, I…"

The seadweller just shook his head. "It's okay, Kar. You don't need to say anythin'."

He didn't. He just leaned his head forward, letting his horns bump lightly to Eridan's collarbone, and closed his eyes.


	13. Orchid Horror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Eridan and Karkat reconnect, Sollux's actions grow ever bolder. In the dream bubbles, something is stirring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo, special update! There's some slight sexual content in this chapter, so be warned. Enjoy!
> 
> This week's chapter is [Orchid Horror](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOVhMJgdIX0&t=186s) by David DeCou.

There was nothing left to say.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Karkat stood in front of the massive mirror in Eridan's bedroom and scrutinized himself with a furrowed brow. It had now been around five days since he'd been freed from Rohdan's clutches, making it around three weeks since he'd been captured, and his recovery was coming along nicely thanks to the sopor slime Eridan had him sleeping in. He still looked a little too pale and  _way_  too discolored from bruising and formerly broken bones, but it was a far cry from the mess he'd been when Eridan had found him.

_First my arms._ Karkat stretched his arms out, testing one, then the other. Slight tenderness around the elbow joints, soreness of the joints joining his arms to his torso, stiffness in all of his fingers. There was a particularly ragged slice down his right forearm that still stung, but it was mostly healed. Overall, not as bad as it could have been.

_My legs._ Stiff all around. Especially painful in his left ankle, where Rohdan had crushed the bones during one of his more intense attempts at getting him to crack. The medic had fixed everything with some kind of scientific trickery (once Eridan had finally let the guy get near him) and now it was mostly healed. Still hurt when he rotated it just so, but it would do. Other than that there was heavy bruising around his lower legs from the bindings and rings around his thighs, and whip marks over his calves. It was all fading, though. It didn't hurt much.

_Next, my torso._ That was the most heavily damaged area. Though the shallower cuts had sealed up, some of the larger ones still liked to leak blood into the sopor while he slept. Eridan had glued them shut, but they were stubborn. Kept popping open and having to be re-glued. There was a lot of bruising up around his chest and dark splotches on his throat from where he'd been choked. It hurt, but not so badly he couldn't function. No…what really concerned him was the swelling in his lower abdomen, right between his hips. It meant that his, ah…his  _delicate areas_ were being forced to retain too much material because of his lack of a stop reflex. That, too, was becoming painful. Not by  _too_  much—he'd gone longer than this before—but it was just enough to make him concerned about what he'd have to do to take care of it. Sollux wasn't there, and he was still too upset with Eridan to tell him about it, so…what was he supposed to do, exactly? He'd like to say that it was a problem for another time, but the time was quickly approaching when it would no longer be possible to ignore. Sooner or later he was going to need it, and then what?

_No. Not now. I can put it off a little longer._

He lowered his arms and stepped away from the mirror, reaching for his clothing and slipping it back on. He was still wearing Eridan's sign, which made him feel a strange combination of giddy and disgusted. The pants too were the same, as were the boots. He hadn't seen a reason to change, and it wasn't as if Eridan had anything else he could wear. Apparently he mostly kept his wardrobe stocked with uniforms befitting the Vice Admiral.

He went for his sickles. They were waiting for him beside the recuperacoon. They weren't his, not the ones he normally used, but he'd asked Eridan to grab him a pair from the ship's arsenal so that he could practice. The ones he'd been brought were a little heavier than he would have liked, but they would do. They would  _have_  to do.

He snatched them up and gave them a practice swing. Luckily Eridan's room was wide open and free of anything to accidentally slice into, so there wasn't much danger in him doing something he'd regret. Namely, smashing the possessions of the only person keeping him from being brutally tortured.

Another practice swing. Then another. It wasn't so bad, he found. The sickles were balanced well, even though they were just a tad too large and too heavy. He swung again, then again. Running himself through a beginner's form, something he'd learned when he was barely hatched. He didn't think he could handle something complex at the moment.

A low whistle sounded from the doorway. "Damn, Kar. You haven't lost it."

He turned his head. Eridan was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. He looked good today—he'd decided to wear civilian clothing instead of his dumb military uniform, so he almost looked the way Karkat remembered seeing him when they were younger. Aquarius shirt, gaudy striped pants, flashy cape, and even that blue scarf he'd used to love so much. Only the scarf was new, and the cape was a slightly darker shade of purple, and he was wearing metal bands around his horns in some kind of absurd highblood fashion statement. And those  _rings._ God, did he have even a  _little_  taste?

"You look flashy," Karkat commented, lowering his arms just long enough to get into position for the next form he was running. "Is there a reason you decided to put on every piece of jewelry you had? Were you worried the others would get jealous if you only wore a few?"

He wrinkled his nose adorably. "Aww, come on, Kar, I just wanted to look nice!"

"You'd look nice if you wore a  _few_ rings, not twenty. And take off those ridiculous horn bands! You're not three sweeps old anymore!"

"But they're the latest in—"

"I don't care what they are, it looks like you've covered your horns with one of those little gem-shooting guns that wigglers use to decorate their clothing!"

Eridan pouted, but raised his hands to his horns nonetheless and tapped at the metal. "You don't like them?"

Karkat blinked.  _Wait…did he…?_ "Eridan Ampora, did you put those ridiculous things on because you were trying to  _impress_  me?"

He flushed. "It's supposed to work! Wearing such expensive pieces is supposed to inspire a sense of wonder, awe! You should be astonished that I'm able to so elegantly adorn myself!"

"Oh god." Karkat banged his head against the hilts of his sickles with a dull thunk. He'd already lost his place in whatever form he'd been running. "Have you forgotten that I don't give a fuck about highblood shit like that?"

"No, I haven't!"

Karkat raised a brow.

"…Okay, maybe that particular bit of information was a little rusty, but I can try again!"

He rolled his eyes, saying, "You're not  _courting_ me, asshole, you don't have to try  _anything."_  But even as he said it Eridan was reaching up and undoing the bands around his horns, that tiny pout still on his face, and stepping into the room to set the discarded jewelry down on the table next to the recuperacoon. He took off a few rings as an afterthought, meaning he was only wearing about five too many rather than a dozen. The mess of metal and gemstones in his fins remained the untouched.

"There," Eridan said, turning to face him with a determined look. "Is that better?"

He...actually looked really nice. He swallowed hard. "You look fine. Now get out, I'm trying to fucking practice!" To emphasize, he put himself back into starting position.  _I'll run the novice form again, then jump up to one of the apprentice forms, then go from there. Hopefully I can make it through the whole set before I start breaking down._

But Eridan wasn't leaving. He just kicked the door closed and marched to the couch, plopping down on it and eyeing him with intense concentration. "Sorry, Kar, but I can't do that. I said I'd watch you to make sure you weren't hurtin' yourself, and I'm goin' to do just that." He waved a hand. "Proceed."

He glared. "You're not serious."

"As a heart attack."

"If you think I'm just going to let you watch me like a creep, then you've got another thing coming!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Eridan waved a hand dismissively. "I'm not leavin', Kar, so you might as well get used to me bein' here."

He continued to glare, more furiously this time. But when Eridan showed no signs of cracking, he was forced to resign himself to the fact that  _yes,_ his idiot of a former matesprit was just going to sit there and fucking creep on him while he practiced.

_Could be worse,_ he reminded himself.  _He could have left me with Rohdan._

And well…when he put it like that…

He slipped back into the proper position. Back to the beginners' set it was, then. He swung, took a step, paused. Turned on heel, lashed out in a different direction, spun, hooked with one sickle, stabbed out with the other. Landed. Paused. Did it again, facing the other direction.

_Okay, good. Not too much pain yet._  He repeated the steps just to make sure he had it before moving on to the next part. A sort of half-spinning jump, a sweep of the ankle, then a double attack intended to slice his opponent's head off. One slice to cut at least halfway through the throat, another to completely disembowel the poor soul who'd gotten in his way. Then a neat leap back to get out of the splatter zone, a flick of the sickles to dislodge any gore, and a spin into a landing pose.

_Still good. Next form._

He ran this one swifter. It was a bit more complex, required a bit more concentration, and so as he moved, Eridan became invisible to him. He hardly remembered he was in the room as he took himself through every step, as fluidly as he knew how, spinning and slashing and jabbing and leaping every which way, remembering skills that had been allowed to grow far too rusty over the near month he'd been confined. He hit the ground a little oddly on the last jump and stumbled.  _Damn. Out of practice._

"You've gotten better," Eridan said softly. He sounded so quiet, so serious, that Karkat paused in mid-form to look over at him. The seadweller was leaning forward, elbows on his knees, chin resting on his hands, watching Karkat with something akin to wistfulness. "I remember when you were so inexperienced that you could only flail around with them."

He remembered just as well. There were scars on his wrists from where he'd used to mess up and cut into himself on particularly bad spins. "I needed to get better," he said finally. "I had to defend myself."

"From the drones?"

"From them, and from other trolls. If you think I haven't learned how to kill by now, you're fooling yourself."

Eridan winced. "I…hadn't considered."

Of course he hadn't. He'd been too busy decimating entire solar systems.

Karkat shook his head to pull himself back together. He took another swing, but his form was ruined. Eridan had thrown him off.

There was only one solution.

Karkat swung around, landing somewhat painfully and pointing the curve of one of his sickles at Eridan, who jolted in surprise. "Spar with me."

Eridan's eyes went comically wide. "What?"

"Spar with me," he repeated. "Come on, Ampora! If you're going to be in here, you might as well put yourself to work."

"But—but Kar, you're still weak! I might hurt you!"

He swept his sickles into a defensive position. "Try me." After nearly a month confined, he was itching for a fight. And Eridan, someone who wasn't going to seriously hurt him, was the perfect person to indulge him while he was still healing. "You said you wouldn't push me too far, right? Wouldn't let me hurt myself? Prove it."

"If you want me to prove it, then I should just dump you into my recuperacoon and lock the lid! That way you  _really_ won't hurt yourself!"

In all fairness, that was probably what would be best for him. But Karkat was stubborn, had been pent up for too long, and he needed to fight  _something._ "You're not going to hurt me, and I'm not going to hurt you. So let's spar."

Eridan clearly knew it was a bad idea. He was hesitating, twiddling his thumbs, looking around as if he was hoping someone else would come out of nowhere and save him. But there was no one there but Karkat, and soon enough he was forced to mutter, "Okay…but you have to tell me the instant you start hurting!"

Satisfaction spiked through him.  _Yes._ This was what he wanted.

Eridan pulled himself to his feet and reached up to his neck to unwind his scarf and set his cape aside. At the very least being put through military training had taught him that fighting with loose fabric around your neck wasn't a good idea. When he was done folding up his cape, he turned to Karkat and snatched a trident out of his sylladex.

"A trident?" Karkat asked, raising a brow. "What happened to the Crosshairs?"

"I'm not usin' Ahab's Crosshairs while we're in my fuckin' ship, you lunatic!" Eridan snapped. "And besides, I've trained with one of these before. It'll be less destructive for everyone involved."

Fair enough. Karkat took a step back and took up his position, raising his sickles in starting form. "Ready."

Eridan shot him an uncertain look. But still he took up position across from him. The bedroom was big enough for a good round, so long as neither of them got carried away.

…Hopefully neither of them would get carried away.

"Ready," Eridan said reluctantly, trident held before him.

Karkat narrowed his eyes. Eridan was waiting for him to strike the first blow, that much was clear. He wouldn't risk hurting him by attacking first. So, then—it was up to him to begin.

It was quick. He took one step forward, lashed out with his right sickle, and immediately the world blurred into motion.

Eridan was quicker than him, if only because of his current injuries. He stepped around Karkat's first swing with ease and swept for his ankles with the hilt of his trident, no doubt hoping to hook his feet right out from under him. Luckily, Karkat wasn't  _that_ slow—all it took to get out of the way was a quick hop, then he was set back on his feet and free to take a series of swings at Eridan, one at his feet to make him jump then one at his chest to knock him back.

Eridan knocked the blow away from his chest with a snap of his wrist. "Clever," he purred. "You really  _have_ gotten better." Then he was lunging forward, stabbing for Karkat's chest directly. He only avoided being skewered by catching the hilt with the curve of a sickle and directing the point into the ground.

"Yes," he agreed, stamping a foot down on the place where the head of the trident connected to the handle, keeping it pinned there. "I have." He whipped up and around (and ow, holy shit that hurt) and slammed his knee into the side of Eridan's face with just enough force to send him reeling, but not enough to really cause him harm.

The seadweller yelped in alarm as he was driven backwards. "Fuck, Kar, that hurt!"

He didn't answer. He just leapt forward while Eridan was stunned and drew a sharp line down the center of his chest with one of his sickles. It didn't even tear the fabric, but the message was clear.  _If this were a real fight, I would have just killed you. You're not taking this seriously._

Eridan seemed to get the message. He said nothing, but when he steadied himself and struck again, he seemed much more focused.

_He's good,_ Karkat realized with mild alarm. He'd  _known_ that Eridan had to be good—no one went through military training and made it to the Vice Admiral position without being  _really fucking good_  at what they did—but knowing it and seeing it were too different things. He found himself awestruck at the fluidity with which Eridan moved. He was an entirely different beast from what he'd been all those years ago.

Karkat tried to leap over a sweep to the ankles, and this time he stumbled just a little. Eridan was getting in close to him now, weaving through his defenses and carefully avoiding each swipe delivered by his sickles. What was more, his entire body was starting to ache.

_We've only been sparring for a few minutes, though!_ Karkat sucked in a harsh breath as Eridan managed to shove his knee into his stomach and push him back, stealing his breath.  _Shit…if I'm really this out of shape, things are worse than I thought._

"What's wrong, Kar?" Eridan teased, jabbing once, twice, three times as the smaller troll was forced to jolt sharply to the side to avoid being skewered. "Gettin' tired already?"

"Fuck you!" Karkat spat. He gasped as he misstepped and nearly pitched right into the wall. One of his sickles flailed out messily in an attempt to catch himself, and Eridan yelped as he threw his trident up to block the hit. "Oh, shit, are you—?"

Eridan cut him off by lunging, this time forgoing the trident entirely and grabbing one of Karkat's wrists. He thrashed once, screeched furiously as Eridan grabbed onto his other wrist, too, then went still as the prongs of the trident jabbed up under his jaw.

"You're in no shape for this," Eridan snapped. "You almost just gutted me on accident!"

"Fuck you, I'm fine!" He struggled against Eridan's hold. Then, when that didn't work, he forced all of his weight straight up and rammed his horns into the underside of Eridan's jaw in a mirror of the way the seadweller's trident was pressing up into his skin.

Eridan didn't react in kind. He let the trident slip from his fingertips and  _growled,_ the sound sending shivers down Karkat's spine, and used his grip on his wrists to spin him around and slam him face first into the nearest wall with far less strength than he could have used.

"You're not fine," Eridan hissed, breath rolling across his ear at uncomfortable proximity. "You're hurt and sick and confused, and I  _know_ you feel pent up but you really just need to rest." He pressed harder when Karkat tried to struggle.  _"No,_ Kar. Stop this and get some rest. I can put on a movie if you like, just  _stop doing this."_

Karkat hesitated. He was full of energy, unable to take it out on anything, and he'd  _prayed_ that sparring with Eridan could make him happy. Or at least, as happy as he could be in a place like this. But the fight had just made him tired and achy and upset, and now Eridan was holding him hard up against the wall and he just wanted  _some_ way of getting his frustration out, and—

Oh. Oh,  _fuck._

He barely held back an alarmed chirp as Eridan jostled, trying to stop him from slipping away, and accidentally slid his knee just a little in the wrong (right) direction. Holy  _fuck,_ that was bad (the  _best)._

"Kar?" Eridan asked, alarmed at the way Karkat had gone completely still beneath his fingers. "Is somethin' wrong?"

Oh no, nothing was wrong! He was completely fine! It wasn't as if Eridan was aggravating an area of his body that was  _already sensitive_  from the  _obscene_  complications caused by his mutation!

Eridan pressed a little harder. It was subconscious,  _had to be,_ but it shoved the swell of Karkat's abdomen against the wall and pressed up between his legs at the same time, and  _oh dear god_ that needed to stop. This time he couldn't hold back a tiny, heated chitter.

There was a horrible, tense moment where Eridan froze, Karkat froze, and the two of them just stood there in stunned silence. Then Eridan seemed to catch on, and he threw himself back with an alarmed, "Oh my god, Kar, I'm so sorry!"

Karkat couldn't stop himself from slumping bonelessly to the ground. This…wasn't the best situation. He was already a little weak and shaky from being put through Rohdan's best efforts at breaking him, his genetic material had been building up for over a month when he was used to taking care of it every fucking  _week,_ if not more, and Eridan had just provoked him in  _exactly_ the wrong way.

"Shit," Eridan was babbling, scrambling around the room in an attempt to do something,  _anything_ that would make the situation better. "Fuck, I'm so sorry, I had no idea what I was doin'! Are you okay?"

Karkat groaned miserably. He felt  _awful,_ actually, but there was nothing he could do about it. Sollux wasn't here, and he wasn't going to resort to using  _Eridan._

"Um…" Eridan glanced over at him, flushed a bright purple, then jerked his head away. "I can, ah, leave you in the bathroom?"

"You  _know_ that won't fucking work," Karkat said tiredly. "Just give me a minute, I'll be fine."

Eridan shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, but Kar…you can't go on like this forever. How long have you been, um…holdin' it in?"

"I don't know. I haven't done anything with Sollux since…" He hesitated, thinking back. "Like, two weeks before I was captured. So…a month and two weeks?"

The seadweller winced sympathetically. "But that's so long!"

"I've gone longer." He had. It didn't start getting  _really_ painful until around the two-month mark. Which, unfortunately, was approaching swifter than he would have liked. "With any luck, I'll be dead before it becomes a problem."

"Oh, Kar…"

He didn't like that look. It was slipping from sympathy to  _pity,_ and there was no way he was going to let Eridan help him with  _this._ His pride wouldn't allow it.

Eridan stepped closer. Knelt, placing himself at the smaller troll's side, and placed a hesitant hand on his shoulder. Then he spoke, and he said the exact thing Karkat was afraid of. "I could help you."

He tensed immediately. "No. No way."

Eridan shushed him gently. "I know you're not ready to forgive me, or to leap into a matespritship again so soon, but… _please_. It doesn't have to be personal. If you're in pain, if you need help, then I can just…" His voice cracked a little, and he had to stop to regain his cool. "I can, um…help you out? With…my fingers?"

He struggled to ignore the way his stomach lurched at the very idea of it—not with disgust, but with  _anticipation._ "I said  _no,_ Eridan! Besides, that wouldn't even work! And I'm not quite that desperate."

"Yes, but what about when you are? You're gonna be aboard the flagship soon enough, and then what? It's not like there's gonna be a lot of time for stuff like this. What happens when it gets really painful and there's no way to make it better?"

He…had a point.

"Come on," Eridan pleaded. "Let me help you. It'll be better to take care of it now, while we're in private and there's no one tryin' to pull us apart."

He hesitated. It made sense, it really did, but…he would probably be dead by the time it got really bad, so what did it matter? Besides, he didn't think he could let himself use Eridan like that. Not when he wasn't ready to begin a matespritship with him. Not now. Not after all the pain.

Eridan slid his hand down a little bit further, bracing it against Karkat's lower stomach.  _Fuck,_ that felt good. "I can make it good," the seadweller enticed. "It'll be better this way, I promise. Kar, I just…I don't want anyone to take advantage of you once we get aboard the ship."

A flash of icy horror seared through him at the thought of it. He  _knew_ what happened to people on that ship. And with his condition…

Just a little lower. Eridan's hand was resting right between his hipbones now. "So, Kar? Will you let me?"

Karkat opened his mouth to respond, then groaned as Eridan pressed down just a little. "Eridan—!"

"Shh," he murmured. "I've got you."

Eridan started to reach for the fastenings of his pants, and Karkat's world snapped into startling clarity. "Wait, no—!"

Eridan froze immediately. He had that to his credit, at least. "Kar?"

"N-no," he repeated shakily. "No, Eridan, we  _can't_."

The seadweller remained obediently still, but didn't draw away. "What will happen on the ship when things get bad? I'm not sure I'll be able to help you, and there isn't goin' to be anyone else there that will understand."

He swallowed hard. "I know."

"Then…?"

He couldn't think about it right now. He just wanted to curl up and pretend none of this had ever happened. "Just stop," he rasped. "Please."

Eridan paused. But then he drew away, releasing the pressure from Karkat's abdomen, and a burning pulse of need gripped his entire body just once, briefly, before fading away into a dull ache. "Okay," Eridan agreed, though he sounded a mixture of bitter and sympathetic. "Okay, Kar. I'm not gonna do anythin' you don't want me to."

Karkat let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He felt stupid for ever thinking that Eridan might keep going without his consent. He'd always been so sweet and caring, and now…

Well. Maybe Eridan hadn't changed as much as he thought. Not in that regard.

Eridan backed away. "I'll let you pull yourself together. I'm just gonna be in the next room, so you can call when you want me. Is that okay?"

Karkat nodded numbly. He didn't think he'd be calling him for a while.

"Okay, yeah…I'm just gonna…"

Eridan dashed for the door and was gone.

 

* * *

 

There was much to be done.

Sollux's fingers flew across his keyboard, delivering order after order to his followers. He had a plan—several plans, actually, all interconnecting to reach a larger, more serious goal—and it had to be executed as soon as possible. This was how he would start, with a series of smaller missions that would get different areas of the main Alternian city under rebel control. He was done playing nice. It was time to start claiming territory.

They had taken Karkat from him. Now they would pay.

"What's first?" Aradia asked softly, watching him type with a sad sort of weariness to her. She'd just spent nearly two hours trying to talk Sollux down from his devastation over the loss of his kismesis, and it was showing in the way she held herself, the way she spoke.

Sollux narrowed his eyes and typed faster. "There's a small warehouse that produces weapons on the edge of town. It's not heavily supervised, so it won't be noticed if we take it over and just continue reports like it hasn't left military control. I have a team ready to make a move on the warehouse tomorrow night. On the other side of town, there's a plant that grows basic grains that are used in almost all Alternian food products. Another small target, also scheduled to be taken tomorrow night. Other than that, I have three other targets set to be claimed by the rebels. We don't have enough men to maintain more than that, but once we start gaining power and public recognition I'm sure we'll grow in number rather quickly. Ladcai tells me that we've managed to recruit fifteen new trolls this week alone. We're growing in power, AA. And if I'm not going to be able to get KK back, the least I can do is slaughter the bastards that took him from me."

Aradia watched him sadly. "Revenge?"

"Fucking revenge." He finished typing out the last order and sat back, stretching his arms up over his head. "That's that, I guess. Everything is set up. Tomorrow an attack will be launched on several smaller warehouses, factories, and farms, allowing us to gain resources and strike a blow against the Empire. Not a large blow, but a blow nonetheless. In addition, this stunt will gain us attention and hopefully draw in new recruits."

"I hope you know what you're doing."

"I do. Don't worry."

"I worry that you're becoming blinded by your anger. I know you're upset that Karkat is gone, but this is reckless. You could destroy the entire rebellion because of the loss of one person."

Sollux glared down at the keyboard. "That's not true."

"Is it not? You've become so obsessed with planning out your next move that you haven't even told Gamzee, Karkat's  _moirail,_ that he's been taken by the Empire."

She…had a point. He hadn't gotten around to telling Gamzee. "You really want me to tell him? He'll go nuts, and I won't be able to pap him into submission like KK."

"He has to know. If I went missing, wouldn't you expect Equius speak up if he knew and you didn't?"

"…Fine. I'll send him a message, or—"

"No, you have to go to him in person!" Aradia insisted. "He deserves you to go to him personally, Sollux, seeing as you're the one who drew him into this mess in the first place."

He winced. She was right, this  _was_ his fault. "Okay. I'll do it. I'll go see GZ."

Aradia's expression softened just slightly, footsteps clacking across the steel plated floor as she drew closer to rest an arm around his shoulders. "Thank you," she whispered. "I know this is hard for you."

"Yeah," he grumbled. "It is." Now that he knew Karkat was beyond his reach, the hole in his heart just seemed to be growing larger and larger with every passing day. How long had Karkat been with the Empire now? At least three weeks, certainly. It was probably closer to a month by now. What had been done to him in that time? Was Eridan keeping him safe (unlikely, the bastard), or taking an active role in breaking him?

Probably the second one. Sollux cringed, remembering how devoted Karkat had been to Eridan even after he'd abandoned him, and how that devotion might break the mutant the instant Eridan took to him with a knife.

"Hey," Aradia said, drawing him out of his ever-darkening thoughts. "It's going to be okay, Sollux. You'll see."

And god, he desperately wanted her to be right.

 

* * *

 

This was…less than ideal.

The Signless stared down through the bottom of the bubble, narrowing his eyes at the scene playing out right before his eyes. His poor dancestor…he wasn't destined for this. He was supposed to be  _great_. He was supposed to be the one that  _won._ Now there he was, shivering miserably in the corner of a ship being piloted by the Condesce's second in command, knowing that at any moment he may be put down like a sick dog.

"Looks like your dancestor's gotten himself into a bit of a situation," came a teasing chuckle at his right.

He glared halfheartedly at the troll standing beside him. "Yours isn't doing much better, Helmsman."

The eldest Captor gave an unworried shrug. "He'll be fine. At least he's not the one going to face down Condy."

He winced. What would happen if Karkat died here, before the rebellion ever even got its start? What would happen if the resistance lost its future leader?

Captor's gaze softened behind his glasses, no doubt seeing the sadness on the Sufferer's face. "Aw, man…I'm sorry, Kankri. I can't imagine what it must be like to have your dancestor in the clutches of that monster."

It was  _awful_. Knowing that Karkat was with Dualscar's dancestor, was about to meet the same person that had strung him up and ordered him shot, was nothing short of gut-wrenching.

"What are you going to do?" Mituna asked. "Just let him die?"

No response. The Signless just stared down through the floor of the dream bubble, the one that the ancestors had never been meant to inhabit in the first place due to their lack of participation in the game, and struggled to clamp down on the sheer, overwhelming pity he felt at seeing the wrecked form of his dancestor.

Mituna raised a brow. "I think it's time for a little divine interference, don't you?"

"You know we can't directly interfere from this place."

"No, but they're called  _dream_ bubbles for a reason. It's difficult, but we're more than capable of reaching out. A little persuasion here, a suggestion there…"

"What you're talking about…it could ruin the natural order of things."

"If the natural order of things ends with all of our dancestors dead and the Condesce triumphant for another thousand sweeps, will you just stand by and let it happen?"

That made him hesitate. He desperately wanted to see the Condesce dead, wanted his dancestor to live, wanted everything to be okay, but…

"Come on," Mituna urged. "We can  _help_  them, Kankri. We can urge them in our footsteps, and this time they'll succeed."

He shook his head. "I just don't know."

"Well you'd better figure it out fast, because we're running out of time. Never let yourself forget that the Condesce has fought this war before, and that she'll be waiting with guns drawn to  _force_ history into repeating itself. If we're going to stop this, it has to be now. We have to make a choice."

The Signless was silent. Then, he was alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Act 1.


	14. Jewel of the Ocean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karkat and Rohdan have a chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of Rohdan, because you guys seem to like him! I'm not sure why...but I guess here he is? 
> 
> Oh, and don't be shy about shooting me a comment! The only thing that keeps me running on this story is knowing people are reading it!
> 
> This chapter is [Jewel of the Ocean](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUEKyEp6MQ8) by Peter Gundry.

Sollux crouched outside the warehouse, a team of rebels behind him, ready to make his move and take the building for the rebellion. He'd left Aradia back at headquarters to coordinate because  _he_  wanted to be out fighting. Now that Karkat was gone, he didn't think he could stand sitting on the sidelines any longer. He would lead this part of the mission, take the munitions warehouse, and that would be that.

"Ready?" he hissed to Ladcai, who was kneeling at his side.

The troll winked. "Never readier."

_Good._ Sollux slid to his feet and raised his hand, flicking his wrist as a signal for the other trolls to follow him. He already had a few trolls stationed at all the windows and doors, so the second they heard fighting they'd been ordered to burst in and quickly subdue the enemy workers inside. With any luck, this would go quickly. There were no blueblood assholes to stop them this time.

Sollux watched as his team got into position.  _Okay, this is good. Now in three…two…one…_ He gestured again, sharply this time, and the doors of the warehouse flew open with a bang.

Immediately, there was chaos.

Sollux showed no mercy, grabbing onto a pair of Empire troops and cracking their heads together, flinging them in opposite directions so that they crashed into the walls of the warehouse. Slashing in another direction let him grab the weapon of another troop, let him lash at their skin with a thousand tiny tongues of electricity, let him take them out of action permanently and fling their corpse to one side. To his left Ladcai was swiping at someone with his horns and throwing punches at whoever he couldn't reach with the tips. Across the warehouse, a team of rebels had their poor victim practically skinned beneath them. To his left, Hearla's eyes glowed as she practically popped a troop's head off his shoulders. It reminded him of that awful night they'd attempted to take out Eridan's squadron, but a thousand times easier.

"Sollux!" came a cry from behind him. "Get the commander!"

His gaze was directed up towards the metal frames stretching up high near the ceiling. There was a troll there, wearing the insignia of a commanding officer, staying well out of the fight. If they wanted to win, he would have to die. No one could be allowed to escape and tell the tale of what had happened here.

Sollux took a deep breath, let power crackle between his horns, and lifted himself up to the metal supports. It was precarious. He set his feet down gingerly, almost afraid he'd fall off despite knowing he could catch himself with his psionics. It was no place for a fight. Then again, so long as he could fly he had the advantage.

The metal creaked beneath his feet. The commanding officer was facing him down with a dagger in one hand and a short sword in the other. An interesting combo, to say the least.

Then the commander charged, and for half a second Sollux thought that the fight would be a challenge. But then the fool lost his footing, slid just a little on the slick surface created by the metal beams, and all it took was a single bolt of psionic energy to the chest to stop his heart then and there. He fell, cracked to the ground with a sickening thud, and it was over.

Below him, the fight was concluding. He lowered himself back to the ground just as the last of the enemy troops was slashed across the throat—or so he thought.

"No, no, wait! I'm, u-um, I'm on your side!"

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He  _knew_ that voice.

Sollux whipped around just in time to lash out with his psionics and tear the weapon out of Ladcai's hands a heartbeat before it would have cracked down and slaughtered the troll cowering at his feet. "Stop!" he snapped. "Ladcai, back off!"

Ladcai stared at him, incredulous. "What the hell, Sollux? He's an enemy soldier!"

Sollux came closer, shoving his way through the remaining rebels until he caught sight of a familiar pair of horns. Yep, that was him all right. "Back off!" he repeated heatedly. "He's a friend."

"But—!"

"He's with AA—I mean, with Aradia." He nudged Ladcai out of the way. Then he snapped his gaze down, and immediately he found himself wincing sympathetically. Ladcai had torn the poor guy up with his horns, sending rivulets of copper blood sliding down his face and neck to soak the neck of his military uniform.

A pair of amber eyes glittered up at him, bright with terror. "S-Sollux? But, um, I thought you were…?"

Right. Everyone thought both Karkat and him had been slaughtered by the drones shortly after molt. "Surprise, TV."

Tavros blinked. Then he blinked again, shaking his head from side to side. "You're dead. You're…you're, uh, really supposed to be dead!"

"And I repeat— _surprise."_ Sollux bowed mockingly. "Leader of the rebellion, at your service."

Tavros looked like he was about to faint. "O-oh…oh my god.

That was when Ladcai decided to but back in, shoving Sollux a little as he tried to get a good look at Tavros. "Sollux, you sure this guy is with Aradia? I thought we didn't have any other operatives in the on-world military!"

"He's a new recruit." Sollux offered his hand to Tavros. "You said you were on our side, right?"

He flushed, a deep brown hue that only looked a little like dirt on his cheeks. "I, um…yeah, I did."

"Did you mean it? You told AA that you were on board, but saying it and meaning it are two different things."

Tavros gave a choppy nod. "I said, um, that I wanted to, help you, and I do."

_Good enough for me._ He closed his hand around the brownblood's and hauled him to his feet. "Congratulations, Private Nitram. You've just been removed from the Alternian armed forces, effective immediately." He reached out and hooked his claws around the patch of fabric displaying his rank and name, tearing it off of his military jacket in one sharp yank. The thing fluttered to the ground, where it landed in a puddle of brown blood and stuck there forlornly. "Oh, and one more thing—starting today, you're dead."

"What?" Tavros yelped. "You're, um, going to kill me?"

"No, but the Alternian military is going to think you're dead. They know you were stationed here, so what's going to happen when you just randomly show up without an explanation for how you escaped while everyone else died? No. You're going to die, TV, just like KK and me."

"Karkat?" Tavros echoed. "He's alive?"

His heart panged. "Well…"

Ladcai came to his rescue, luckily. "There will be time to talk about that later. For now, don't you think we need to be moving on with the mission?"

He blinked. "Yes, you're right. Ladcai, make sure the perimeter is secure. Hearla, I want you monitoring the coms system." He raised his voice. "The rest of you, spread out and gather anything we might find useful! After that, we're out of here." He'd hoped to keep this particular warehouse, but that wasn't feasible seeing as the military had been monitoring it. If they stayed, the military would grow concerned that the soldiers stationed here hadn't reported back. They would send a squadron or two, guns raised, and obliterate anyone that remained. So they would have to leave this place, unfortunately, but they would take whatever they could with them and send a powerful message.

"Think you can stand?" Sollux asked. "I can float you around if you can't."

Tavros shook his head shakily. "I-I'm fine, Sollux. Thank you."

Sympathy spiked through him. He knew how hard it was, suddenly having to leave everything behind and 'die.' But at least when he'd had to run, he'd had a few weeks warning. He couldn't imagine what it was like having such a thing dumped on you all at once like this. Just an hour ago Tavros had been living a normal life, and now he was expected to leave it all behind or surrender his life to the rebels.

"Come on," Sollux said, gesturing for Tavros to follow. "Let's get you out of the way, then we can talk a little. I still have to manage this lot of idiots, don't get me wrong, but I think I have time to fill you in a bit."

Tavros's eyes went wide with relief "Oh, that would be, um, great!" He shuffled his feet awkwardly, admitting, "This is, um, all kind of, weird, for me."

"Tell me about it." Sollux ducked through the throng of rebels, everyone running every which way to gather up all the resources they could before they were forced to leave, and led Tavros over to an uninhabited corner where they wouldn't be disturbed. "Here we are. Now, I'm assuming you have some questions?"

The brownblood nodded vigorously. "Yeah, uh, that's right!"

"Shoot, then. There's time for a few answers before this lot does something stupid."

Another nod. "I wanted to, know, then…what happened to Karkat? You said he was still alive?"

He cringed. Of  _course_ Tavros would go straight to the one thing he didn't want to talk about. But he owed him this, owed him answers if he was going to rip him away from his old life and shove him into one that would require him to live perpetually underground. "He's alive," he began. His chest was already beginning to tighten at the thought of talking about what had happened.

"Oh, um, that's fantastic!" Tavros exclaimed. "I really, thought you were dead!"

He grumbled, "Yeah, for now. As it turns out, KK had to go and get himself captured by ED."

"His, uh, matesprit?"

Of course Tavros didn't know. Why would he? "His  _former_  matesprit. ED ran off on him when he went to fight for the Condesce."

"Oh…" Tavros frowned sadly. "So Eridan has him? But…that, um, means that he's not, on Alternia anymore!"

"No," Sollux ground out. "He's not. And the longer he's out there, the more of a chance there is that he'll end up dead."

Tavros didn't have a response for that. He just stared at the ground, expression twisted into one of bitter resignation. "They really, tore us apart."

"Yeah. Yeah, they did."

More silence. Then, "I wish we could, um, go back into the game."

Sollux whipped his head up, alarmed. "What? But we—!"

"We were together," was the dull response. "I, miss everyone. They're all gone now."

He…wasn't entirely wrong. No one had died, but they all felt further away than ever. Even the others of their team that had stayed on world—Kanaya, Equius, Nepeta—felt like they were light-years from home. "Some of us are still around. Gamzee's just around the corner."

Tavros's eyes sparked with just a hint of life. "He is? I, um, was never allowed to see him after the military started, watching him more closely. They were, uh, waiting for him to find a moirail before they shipped him off world."

"We have a system of tunnels," Sollux told him. "It'll let you go see GZ, if you like."

"Really?" His voice shook, as if he wasn't sure Sollux was telling the truth.

_That's right…I forgot how close those two were while they were in the game._ "You can see him whenever you want."

Tavros opened his mouth to say something else, but he was interrupted by Ladcai calling out, "Sollux, dude, we're all done here! Should we move out?"

"I'll explain more later," Sollux said quickly, then called back, "Yeah, move out! Get back to the tunnel entrance and get the supplies hidden in the lab!"

The rebels immediately moved to obey his commands. "Stay close," Sollux warned Tavros in a low murmur. "I'd like to say I have full control of these asshats, and that since I told them you're a friend they aren't going to stab you in the back the first opportunity you get, but that would be a lie. So long as you're in that uniform, people are going to be a little skittish."

The brownblood shrank down a little, staring at his shoes. "And, what about when I'm, um, not wearing the uniform, anymore? It's not like, my horns are forgettable. They'll probably, um, always remember that I was, part of the military."

"AA is a part of the military, and everyone trusts her. In time, you will be no different."

That made him look a little happier, at least. "Are any of the others from the game involved with this?" he asked. Sollux had started walking for the exit, and he followed him with a tiny smile on his face, shedding his military jacket as he went. Tiny clicks and whirrs emanated from his mechanical legs.

Sollux shook his head. "No, it's just you, KK, AA, FF, and me. GZ is being watched too closely to really do anything for us, and even though KN, NP, and EQ are on world, they aren't a part of the rebellion. They don't even know that we're involved in it. Other than KN, who KK still talks to, they all think that KK and I are dead.

"Kanaya still, spoke with Karkat, and she didn't turn him in? That's, um, not very loyal of her!"

It wasn't, and that was the strange thing. Kanaya did her job well in the brooding caverns, kept her head down, went about things as normal, and yet despite her seeming obedience she'd refused to turn Karkat in. Sollux had always wondered if she would make a good potential ally, but he knew that if he drew her into the rebellion then she would refuse to keep it a secret from Karkat.

Now that Karkat was gone, however…

"I could probably get KN on our side now," Sollux murmured thoughtfully. "Especially now that KK is lost to the Empire. But EQ is too much of a loyalist, and if I tried to get NP to join us she would definitely tell him what was going on."

"And, the others?"

"You mean the ones in the fleet?" he scoffed. "You really think VK would be interested in helping us out? Or that TZ would throw her under the bus to aid the rebellion? And it's not like ED, the fucking  _Vice Admiral_  of all people, is going to do anything more than serve the Empress."

He didn't miss the way Tavros paled at the mention of Vriska. "N-no, I, um, guess not. But if there's even a chance…"

"We can't take that chance. If I go to any of those idiots for help and they decide to sell me out, they've just handed the Condesce a direct link to my identity and location. As far as I know, the Empire doesn't yet know exactly who I am—until they manage to wring it out of KK, if they  _do_ manage to get that stubborn fuck to crack. I want to keep it that way for as long as possible, and going to our old friends for help is  _not_ going to do me any favors."

"Good, uh, point."

A wave of weariness seared through him. He hadn't realized it before, but seeing Tavros…it had just made him miss the past even more. He missed the days when they could just sit down and troll each other without a care in the world, completely oblivious to the hell that awaited them down the road. Fuck, he hadn't even seen Feferi,  _his_   _own matesprit,_ in months. Going to see her was too dangerous, and now Karkat had been wrenched from him as well.  _This sucks._

Tavros made a sad little sound, and he realized that he'd spoken aloud. "Yeah," the troll agreed quietly. "It does. But, um, I don't really think we can, give up."

They couldn't. They really couldn't.

"Come on," Sollux said gruffly, gesturing to the place where his troops were beginning to disappear into the mouth of the tunnels, down a well-hidden hatch in the countryside where the warehouse was located. "We should get back to base."

 

* * *

 

_One step forward, land in a lunge position. Sweep one hand to the ground, the other up above your head to catch the incoming blow. Turn, lowering your arms and directing the blow into the ground. A short leap to evade the counterattack. Plant one foot atop the enemy's weapon and kick up with the other foot, twisting mid-jump. Land in a wide stance. Sidestep to avoid the consequent flailing. Lunge forward, being careful not to overextend either arm. Duck under the opponent's reach. Bring both hands up, performing one clean hook from stomach to throat. One last leap to get clear of the falling body, and you're done._

Neatly, Karkat landed on his toes and flicked his wrists to clean the imaginary blood from his sickles. It had been a near perfect run this time, a far cry from the mess he'd made a few hours prior. He still ached all over, and his muscles were still screeching in alarm, but he hadn't felt this good in a month. If he went on like this, sleeping in high quality sopor and being fed more than enough, he thought he would make a full recovery in a little more than another two weeks.

Unfortunately, that wasn't in the cards.

They had been traveling at the speed of light for a day already, which meant they would be at the flagship in another twenty-four hours, if not a little less. Once they got there, Karkat didn't know what would happen. He would be taken to the Condesce, yes, but what happened before that was a mystery. What would be done to him? Would they chain him up, collar him, torture him a little to get him warmed up for the Condesce? Would they try to break him down themselves before he was sent right up to the Empress? The anticipation was killing him.

He wondered if he would even be allowed to stay with Eridan. Maybe they would just take him away from the seadweller and haul him to the Condesce without his consent. Maybe they wouldn't care when Eridan tried to get them to stop. Maybe Eridan wouldn't  _try_ to get them to stop. Maybe he would just stand aside, a bitter expression on his face as Karkat was stripped down and brought before the leader of their entire species.

_I can't think about that,_ Karkat tried to tell himself. He swept his sickles up and pointed them unseeingly at the wall in front of him. Eridan had cleared out one of the rooms, giving him an open space to practice, and that was where he was now. There were already a dozen new sickle marks in the walls from where he'd gotten carried away. He really  _couldn't_  let himself think about the Empire, not now. He wanted to clear his mind as much as possible before he had to face whatever fucked up fate awaited him aboard the flagship.

In the front room, he heard the door slide open. Eridan was back, then. Apparently there'd been a tiny issue with one of the engines early that morning, and so the seadweller had left to oversee repairs. That had been a few hours ago.

"Eridan!" Karkat called out, leaving his sickles propped up against the wall as he stepped casually out of the room and trekked his way into the main area. "What the fuck took you so long, you piece of—"

"Thought I'd find you in here."

He froze.  _That voice…_

The door slid closed. Horns scraped the ceiling. A set of dangerously sharp teeth glinted in the light. "Little fly," the blueblood purred. "You look better."

His voice caught in his throat. What the  _fuck_ was  _he_ doing here? Eridan had said that the door was coded so that only he could open it, had said he was  _safe,_ that there was no way that anyone could get to him!

"Don't look so afraid," the blueblood mock soothed. "We both know that Ampora would have my head if I so much as laid a finger on you. As it is he'll probably have a good time screaming my head off. But hey! It's not my fault his electronic lock was so easy to pick."

Karkat started to back away, then thought better of it. Where exactly would he back away  _to?_  It wasn't as if there was anywhere he could run, and even if he went for his sickles he was sure Rohdan would stop him before he got within ten feet of them. It was better to stand his ground and  _try_ to look somewhat formidable.

"S-stay back!" Karkat hissed, lowering his head just slightly to display his horns as a meager sort of threat.

"Do you really want to go there?" Rohdan asked. He lowered his head in response so that his rather large horns were pointed Karkat's way. "I'm pretty sure I could trump you if you really wanted to have this little pissing contest, kid."

He could, and Karkat knew it. Slowly, he raised his head.

Rohdan relaxed immediately. He didn't come any closer, though, choosing to lean into the wall near the door. He was a far cry from the loud, aggressive asshole of a troll he'd dealt with in that cell. "There we go," he said. "Isn't this nicer? We can just have a conversation like a civilized pair of trolls."

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Karkat demanded. "I thought Eridan had you working far,  _far_  away from his quarters!"

Rohdan just narrowed his eyes, saying, "You're on a first name basis with the Vice Admiral, I see."

He bristled. "What's it to you?"

"I'm just…how do you say… _baffled._ " He took one step closer. Karkat took one step back. "We both know that if you'd stayed in that cell, I would have broken you wide open in a day. I was  _this_ close to dragging the last of the information out of you. But then, of course, the heroic Vice Admiral Ampora comes out of nowhere and saves the day!" One more step, then another, until he was moving in a sort of half circle, growing just slightly closer to Karkat by the moment. "He promises me he'll torture you, get the information, but what's this I see? You're up and moving! Well on the road to recovery! All of my pretty, pretty marks have started to fade away."

Karkat carefully tracked his movement. "What's your point?"

"My point? My  _point,_ dear mutant, is that he was supposed to  _break_ you, and yet here you are. He's been caring for you. He's bandaged your wounds and fed you and let you  _rest._  Now, why would he do that?"

"Hell if I know," he ground out bitterly. "Why does it matter what he is to me?"

"It matters because I want to know," was the flippant response. "Plus, if there's a chance he's going to betray the Empire I want to know about it. It's  _obvious_ that there's no trace of black between you, plus the fact that I know you have a kismesis, so that halves our options. The two of you have to be in one of the red quadrants."

"We're not in any quadrant!" he snapped. That was true, really—he hadn't taken Eridan back, and he wasn't sure if he ever would.

Rohdan just carried on like he'd never spoken. "Is it pale? An attempt to defend a moirail? It certainly  _looked_ pale, the way he cradled you when he first found you,  _shushed_ you when you started whimpering."

He said it so matter-of-factly, reminding Karkat of just how wrecked he'd been not a week prior, and the mere mention of such times made him shudder. "It's  _not_ pale!"

"No? Then it's red. Mystery solved."

"It's…" He trailed off, voice dying in his throat. It wasn't red, but it had been. Once. A long time ago. "It's not red."

Rohdan rolled his eyes. "You're not fooling anyone. But do you want to know something interesting?"

He really didn't.

"I was curious about you, about the way you and Ampora seemed to be  _so_ familiar with each other to the extent where you can openly call him by his first name, and  _he_  was willing to sacrifice information for the sake of saving you from  _me_. I wanted to know your past. So I sifted through the records we keep on every single living troll on Alternia, and I found something quite strange." He was getting closer. Step by step, inch by inch, moving slowly into Karkat's personal space. "Did you know that you're dead?"

He paled. Eridan had told him about that, he knew it was in the records, but still…

"Now how did you manage that?" Rohdan murmured. "There's almost nothing about you in the records we have other than the fact that you're a self-reported rustblood living on the outskirts of the main Alternian city. Or at least, you  _were_ all of those things before the drones apparently found and slaughtered you due to mutation of the hemochrome."

Despite himself, Karkat inched back a little bit. So much for holding his ground.

"You're a mystery," Rohdan went on. "Not a scrap of information in our records that isn't a complete lie,  _plus_ the fact that you apparently have a rather amorous connection with one Eridan Ampora, Vice Admiral of the Imperial Fleet. Any explanation for all that?"

"None of your business," he snapped irritably. "If you want to know so bad, why don't you make Eridan tell you?"

"He's been rather… _uncooperative_. You, on the other hand, I thought I might be able to convince."

Well  _that_  was comforting.

"So is there anything you want to tell me about your past relation to Ampora? Because I'm  _sure_ a seadweller loyalist like himself would  _never_ have allowed himself to consort with a mutant such as yourself in his youth."

"Maybe he didn't know," Karkat suggested with a sneer. "Maybe he thought I was a rustblood. You saw the contacts I was wearing when I first got here; wouldn't those have been enough to fool most trolls?"

"Most trolls, yes, but not your matesprit. There are other, more  _interesting_ ways of determining blood color, ways that I'm sure your matesprit would have quickly taken advantage of."

He shuddered. "Even if that's true, it's none of your fucking business!"

"Isn't it? If the Vice Admiral is some kind of traitor, wouldn't that be of concern to someone like me? Someone who's  _loyal_ to the Empire, and to the Condesce? I should really know if the right hand of the Empress is a traitor."

"He's not a traitor."

"Oh, no?"

"No," Karkat said firmly, because if there was one thing he knew it was that Eridan was loyal to the Condesce above even him. "He's not a fucking traitor. That's the last thing he is."

"How can I trust you?" It was said mockingly, thick with saccharine sarcasm. "You're not exactly a loyalist yourself."

He shook his head. He was trembling a little, and he hoped that Rohdan couldn't see. "I know because when he left to join her, he abandoned everyone that loved him, and everyone he loved.  _That's_ how I know. Because he's a fucking  _dumbass_ who's willing to do anything to serve his Empress."

Rohdan was quiet. He'd stopped moving, just standing there and regarding him with cool, almost clinical curiosity. Then, "I see."

_Deep breaths, Vantas…calm yourself down._ "Is that all?"

"Hmm…" The blueblood tilted his head first to one side, then the other. "One more thing, I think. What exactly has Eridan promised you?"

His blood ran cold. "What?"

"What has he promised you?" Rohdan repeated. "If the two of you were involved in the past, I'm sure he hasn't just kept you here without assuring you his  _protection_ or whatnot."

"He's promised me nothing, other than the fact that he's going to deliver me to the Condesce."

Rohdan raised a brow. Said, "I severely doubt that."

"Then talk to him yourself!"

There was a tense, awkward moment of silence as Rohdan watched him, the points of his teeth pricking at his lower lip, arms crossed tersely over his chest. Finally, he sighed. "Very well. I suppose the engineering crew will be done repairing the minor crack I created in the engine casing."

"Wha— _you_  did that?" Karkat spluttered. "Are you trying to get us all killed?"

He waved a hand noncommittally. "No, no, it's fine. It was just a hairline fissure in the outer core casing of the fourth backup engine, nothing severe. We'll all be fine."

Karkat stared in disbelief. "You seriously tampered with the fucking  _engines_ just to get Eridan out of the way and talk to me?"

A shrug. "Whatever it takes, kid. Whatever it takes."

"You're insane."

"You say that like it's news."

"It might be news to  _Eridan_ when I tell him what you did."

"Oh, I'm sorry…" Rohdan narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Did you say something about me going straight to the Condesce and warning her that her own Vice Admiral has an amorous connection to a lowblood mutant? Did I hear that you  _want_  me to sell him out and get him killed for associating with someone of your caste? Because I can do that, definitely, but I'm not really sure why you'd want me to."

He paused. He  _should_ want Eridan dead. He  _should_  want to throw him under the bus for what he'd done. But when he really got right down to it, he just  _didn't_. He'd spent  _so much time_  wishing to get revenge on Eridan, but now that he was here, staring Rohdan in the face and knowing that he could doom his former matesprit with a single word…he just didn't want to.

He wanted Eridan to  _live_.

Rohdan gave a long, amused purr. "That's what I thought. Now as long as you keep your mouth shut about my little jaunt with the engine casing, I keep my mouth shut about your past. Deal?"

"What are  _you_  getting out of this, exactly?"

"Well, that's easy." He smirked. "I wouldn't have been sure about your past connection to Eridan if you yourself hadn't just confirmed it, and I  _certainly_ wouldn't have known that he  _knew_ about your blood color unless again, you confirmed it indirectly. So I suppose what I'm getting out of this is the very information you're asking me to withhold from the Empress."

"You fucking  _asshole—!"_

Rohdan just shrugged. "I'll be back if I want any more information. Now that I've got a bit of leverage over you…"

"Fuck you!" he shrieked.

"Not sure you want to take things there, princess." 

Karkat screeched furiously, grabbed for something to throw at Rohdan in retaliation, but by the time he turned back the blueblood was gone.


	15. Eau de Vie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Karkat arrives on the flagship, Sollux goes to Kanaya for help. Meanwhile, the dream bubbles are shifting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo, thanks for the support last week! This was the first week of a new quarter, so it's been hectic and awful and all the comments really kept me going!
> 
> This week: exposition! And tons of it! Consider it the calm before the storm, because disturbing things are going to happen in the next chapter.
> 
> This week's chapter is [Eau de Vie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmAca9b_Q7A) by Takanashi Yasuharu.

"We'll be exiting the flash jump in another five hours," Eridan told Karkat in the dead of night, when the two of them were curled up in the pile with not a spark of desire to leave. "Five hours, then maybe another twenty minutes to dock with the flagship. That's all the time we have left."

Karkat swallowed down a terrified chirp. His nerves were beginning to get the better of him, knowing that soon he would be facing down the ruler of his entire species.  _I have to stay calm. Can't let anything get the best of me._

"Kar?" Eridan murmured, nudging up under his chin and pressing slack lips to his jaw. "Are you okay?"

He swallowed hard. He'd fallen into the pile with Eridan for the purpose of  _relieving_ his tension, had indulged in Eridan's desire to hold him as a  _deterrent,_ but things were worse than ever. "What are you going to do?" he rasped. There was a slight tremor to his voice, and he hated it. "When we get to the flagship, I mean? What's going to happen?"

"I'm going to take you straight to the Condesce," came the gentle response. "You'll have no interaction with the crew, just a meetin' with her and me. It'll be quick, and I'll try to sway her in favor of lettin' you stay with me for however long it takes for the Empire to squash the rebellion. With any luck, you won't be harmed at all."

He wondered just how much luck he had left. "That's it? There's no ridiculous uniform that prisoners have to wear, or rules about etiquette, or any of that bullshit?"

Eridan flinched, and he knew the answer immediately. "Well…the slaves have to wear a uniform, but you're not expected to do anythin' like that. You can keep wearin' that shirt for as long as you like. In terms of etiquette…" He trailed off uncomfortably. "Well, just try to keep your head down, okay? No one will bother you if you're with me."

_And what about when I'm not with you?_ But he didn't say it, didn't press the issue, and soon enough Eridan was leaning back against him with a low, rumbling purr. He seemed content, at least, even if Karkat was still tense. What he really needed was for Gamzee to shooshpap him into oblivion—not that  _that_ was going to happen anytime soon. Alternatively, he could deal with Sollux tying him up for a while. He couldn't lie, his shame globes were  _really_ starting to become an issue. He needed to get rid of the excess material before the pain became debilitating, and he couldn't do it solo.

"Kar," Eridan murmured, voice muffled against his collarbone. "You're tense. Stop thinkin' for a while? Just for these last few hours…stop thinkin'."

He tried, despite the part of himself growling at Eridan to shut up when he wasn't the one in danger. There was still something wrong here, he thought, something that bugged him about letting Eridan so close to him. He still hadn't forgiven him. But right now, when he was possibly hours away from being brutally murdered, he'd decided not to care. He would let himself have this. He would let himself be comforted.

Eridan's com link beeped suddenly, and the seadweller cursed under his breath. He had to fight to get his arm out from under Karkat's shoulders in order to click the button in and snap, "What is it?"

Karkat tuned it out. It wasn't his issue to worry about. Instead he let his fingertips glide across Eridan's seadweller-slick skin, tracing out the places where the scales were the most defined. He didn't have scales all over, but there were a few larger ones on his stomach and around his shoulders that had failed to be wiped away by the tide of evolution. They were a little smoother than the rest of his skin, a little slicker, though they were way too dry when he was out of the water. They felt nice beneath his fingers.

_I miss this,_ he realized.  _I miss just being able to cuddle with Eridan._  But then again, that shouldn't have been much of a surprise. He'd missed things like this for the nearly four sweeps they'd been apart.

Eridan groaned suddenly, turning his com link off and letting his arm fall back around Karkat's shoulders. "Apparently I'm supposed to be at the helm when we dock. Verification codes that only I know and all that."

A flicker of hurt shot through him. He wanted Eridan to stay.

"Don't worry," the seadweller murmured, dipping close to press his lips to Karkat's forehead. "I won't have to leave for a few more hours, and even then I'll come right back for you."

He knew Eridan could tell how clingy he was feeling. It was the result of a sick combination of the discomfort caused by his mutation, trauma from his time with Rohdan, and sheer desperation to see Gamzee, and it was becoming worse and worse with every passing moment. He just wanted to be  _held._

"Kar," Eridan whispered. "I'm gonna protect you, I swear." He brushed a few fingertips to the bases of Karkat's horns. "Just relax, okay? I'm not Gam, I know I'm not, but I think I can help you out at least a little."

He probably wasn't going to complain. And when Eridan squeezed just lightly around his hornbeds, he discovered that he  _really_ wasn't going to complain. Warm buzzing overtook him. He drifted.

"That's it," came a low murmur. "Close your eyes, and I'll make it all go away."

 

* * *

 

 

At the end of the day, when everyone had reported in, Sollux learned that every target had been hit without incident. They had captured five properties around the city, all in places where their activity wouldn't be noticed, and they'd raided three munitions factories to boot. If they were aiming to gain attention, they'd succeeded.

There were news reports everywhere. All over television, broadcasting to every corner of Alternia. Everyone knew that the rebels were growing in number, seizing weapons, preparing for war. The squadron that had been sent from the flagship hadn't managed to find and eliminate them. It was, quite frankly, amazing for their publicity.

_"Sollux!"_ Feferi had glubbed, calling him on their secure line early the next morning when she saw the news.  _"You did it! You really did it! Oh, I can't believe that you managed to hit the city so hard; everyone's glubbing about it!"_

"Good," he'd said in response, feeling somewhat smug. "With any luck we'll get a wave of new recruits soon. You're prepared to house some of them if things get out of hand, right?"

_"Yep! I can drain all the water out of one of the ballrooms and let them live there! Just let me know what you need."_

"Well you  _are_ supposed to be the cover child of the rebellion. I'm sure that having some actual contact with the rebels would be nice."

_"Some actual contact with you_ would  _be rather nice, but only when it's safe. If we can somehow get the on-world military on our side…"_

He blanched. "The entire on-world military? Are you serious?"

_"Well maybe not all of them, but it would be nice to have their base! Just a thought."_

It was a good thought, though, and the instant she said it Sollux's mind was whirring with the potential ways he could try to steal the members of the on-world military away from the Empire. The more he thought about it, the mores feasible it sounded. Most of the members were lowbloods, discriminated against and beat down by highbloods—by the Condesce. If he could appeal to them in just the right way…

He'd get to work right away.

In the meantime, there was something he needed to do. Tavros had mentioned messaging Kanaya and recruiting an ally on the inside, and he intended to do just that. Plus he still had to go talk to Gamzee, but that was a conversation for another day.

Right now, he was going to deal with the obvious. With Kanaya. He'd messaged her after he returned home from the raid, and had requested for her to slip away from the brooding caverns and meet him in the tunnels. He trusted her not to sell him out. That's where he was now, waiting exactly where he'd asked her to meet him. He would confront her, tell her about Karkat, and ask her to help him in whatever way she could. Hopefully she would be able to offer some kind of insight.

As if on cue, the earth shifted behind him. "Sollux," said a familiar voice.

He turned. "KN, you made it!"

She dipped her head gracefully. "Of course I did. Though, I'll admit I wasn't expecting to hear from you again. I thought you were completely determined to see this rebellion out to the end, and that bringing me into things would carry the risk of me turning you in as a loyal jadeblood would."

"Wait," he yelped, "what? You  _know_ about the rebellion?"

She blinked. "Everyone knows about the rebellion; it's been all over the news. The more appropriate question would be, you knew that  _I_ was the leader of the rebellion? To which I would answer yes, I have known for quite some time now."

"How did you…?"

"Karkat spoke with me infrequently, but I did manage to pick up on the fact that you were orchestrating what he called 'small acts of rebellion.' He seemed convinced that there were only a few people involved, but I immediately suspected that there was more to the situation than met the eye." She stepped closer, fully emerging into the light. She hadn't aged a day. "But that's beside the point. You have an important reason for calling me here, no? You wouldn't break radio silence just to talk about the weather."

"No," he agreed. "I wouldn't."

"Well then, go ahead. I don't have long before my colleagues notice my absence, and it  _is_  quite a trek to get back to the caverns."

Right. This was the part where he had to tell her that Karkat, someone she treasured as a dear friend, had been snatched up by the Empire because of  _him._  To be fair, he probably  _could_  have just shot her a message to tell her what was going on—but she was a friend; she deserved to be told in person.

"Sollux?" Kanaya asked, brow furrowing. "Is something wrong? I haven't heard from Karkat for a while…he's okay, isn't he?"

His voice caught momentarily in his throat. Then, "I'm not sure."

"What do you mean you're not sure? How can you not be sure if he's okay? Sollux, where  _is_  he?"

_Deep breaths. You're fine. She's not going to hurt you._ "KN, he…I mean, the Empire…"

Her eyes narrowed to slits. "No."

"Wh…what do you mean,  _no?_  KN, KK is—"

"No," she repeated softly, dangerously. "Too much has been taken from the twelve of us already, Sollux. If you tell me that Karkat too has been wrenched from our grasp…"

He was hit with a wave of overwhelming regret. If he'd just told Karkat from the beginning what he was up to, this never would have happened. Karkat would be safe, even if it meant that  _he_  took his place aboard the flagship. "I'm sorry," he rasped. "He just…got away from me. Apparently he went looking for me at the site of a battle, long after I'd managed to get away, and ED's troop found him and took him aboard their ship. I have no idea where they're going, or if KK is even still alive."

Kanaya looked nothing less than stricken. She'd always been a little (read: a lot) pale for Karkat, so hearing that he'd been swept away couldn't have felt good. "He's really gone?" she whispered. "He's aboard Eridan's ship?"

He could only nod. "He is. I don't know where he'll end up, though."

"I…I see." Kanaya leaned against the wall of the tunnel, pressing a few fingertips to the bridge of her nose. "This is why you called me? So I could help you get him back?"

"KN, I…I don't know if we  _can_ get him back. The Empire's probably going to use him as a bargaining chip, and I can't give them anything if I want this rebellion to bear fruit."

She swallowed hard. "Then why did you call me here? Just to tell me that Karkat is gone? You could have told me that online."

"That's not the only reason I wanted you here."

"Then you'd best hurry in your request, because I'm not sure how much longer I will be able to hold myself together."

He winced, murmuring, "There's still a chance we can save him. It's just…unlikely. But in the meantime, I was hoping to ask for your help with the rebellion."

Silence.

"You don't have to fight if you don't want to, but I really think you could help us push our cause further along. You could make a real difference if we had your support, your resources. You're a jadeblood; I know that you can do something to aid us."

A sigh, soft and weary. "So you've finally come knocking at my door, asking me to abandon my duties in the brooding caverns in order to fight an inevitable war."

Well, when she put it like that…

She raised a hand. "Do not fear, Sollux. I have already exchanged words with the Dolorosa, and I intend to help you. I know my duty."

"The Dolorosa?" he echoed. "Your ancestor? How the fuck did you manage that? KN, are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm perfectly sane," she said, somewhat dreamily. "You will see. When the Helmsman comes to you, he will explain everything."

O…kay. Maybe working in the caverns had made her a little loopy.

"If that's all, I think I should return to the caverns. I'm going to contact Vriska and Terezi when I get the chance and ask them a few things about this."

"Wait!" Sollux yelped. "You can't tell them about the rebellion; they're loyalists! They'll turn us in for sure!"

"Please trust me. I know what I'm doing, and how this can help us."

"KN, if you get us killed—"

"I will not. The instant I do something that exposes us, I will be forfeiting my own life as well. And, as you may have noticed, I am not in the business of committing suicide."

He knew that, at least. "Okay. Just…be careful?"

She nodded. "I will endeavor to help you in any way I can. If there's ever anything you require, you only need send me a message and I will acquire it for you. Is that satisfactory?"

A nod in return. "It is. KN…thank you."

She offered him a gentle smile. "I was always destined to become a tool of the rebellion, as Karkat is destined to lead it."

"What?" he spluttered. " _Lead_  it?  _Karkat?"_

Her smile turned slightly mischievous. "Goodbye, Sollux."

"Wait, KN—!"

But she was already gone, vanishing into the darkness, and he was left to stare after her in confusion.

 

* * *

 

Sollux opened his eyes to a world entirely foreign to him.

He blinked in confusion, eyes skating around to take in his surroundings. He was on his back for some reason, stretched out, so for the most part all he could see was a bright blue sky with two suns looming overhead, blades of lime-green grass crisscrossing at the edges of his vision. This…wasn't Alternia. Was he dreaming or something? The last thing he remembered was drifting off in his recuperacoon, having spoken with Kanaya and decided to put off his visit to Gamzee until another day. Now he was… _here._ Wherever  _here_ was.

He slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. Everything was just so  _bright._ It actually looked a lot like Alternia, with the looming trees and thick grass and craggy landscape, but the colors were all wrong. The grass was a shade of unnatural lime, the sky was way too blue, the trees were practically fluorescent…it was a mess. It hurt his eyes.

Where the fuck  _was_ he?

He got to his feet and took a few steps to one side. Everywhere around him, it was more of the same lush landscape. He couldn't see any buildings, any structures.  _Is it a dream?_ he wondered, baffled.  _I shouldn't be so coherent if it's a dream…am I just crazy?_

There was a rustle behind him. He thought he was just the wind at first, until a bright, eager voice nearly scared him out of his wits.

"Yo, Captor! Knew I'd run into you eventually!"

He turned, slowly, because he  _knew_ that voice. It was…well, it was  _his._

A flash of yellow blinded him for a moment, then faded to a more manageable hue. It was a troll, he saw. A troll with crooked fangs and wiry black hair. A troll with four horns and red and blue lenses over his eyes.

Well, fuck him sideways with a rusty culling fork. That was the Helmsman.

He recognized him from the descriptions he'd heard in the game. Aradia had apparently found her way into the dream bubbles more than once, had met all of their ancestors and dancestors, and had been sure to convey just how annoying all of them were. That meant that this was the Helmsman, his ancestor, the alternate form of Mituna Captor.

"Sollux!" the Helmsman chirped, bouncing up to him cheerily. "Man, I've been trying to get ahold of you for  _ages._ Where have you been?"

"Ages…?" he echoed, stunned. "Get ahold of me? What the hell?"

"Yeah, man." He clapped him on the shoulder with friendly intent. "I feel like I've been trying to contact you forever. But time is weird here, so who knows how long it's been on Alternia!"

He frowned. "Trying to contact me? What the fuck is  _that_  supposed to mean?"

"Just what it sounds like!"

He bristled. "No,  _not_ just what it sounds like! How are you even here right now? What's going on? The dream bubbles aren't even supposed to exist anymore, not since we exited the game and everything reset!"

"Nothing  _reset,"_ Mituna said. "You still played the game; the universe  _knows_ that you played the game. You didn't reset anything. All that happened was a glitch in the system, a hiccup that led to the game keeping your old world instead of making a new one. If things had really reset you'd be playing the game again right now instead of running around trying to slaughter the Condesce."

"The bubbles still should have—!"

"The bubbles were never meant to be destroyed, dude. They're meant to stick around after the end of the game like a kind of safe haven for the trolls that died in the process of winning. It's their own sort of reward—or punishment, depending on who you end up with. Take this bubble, for instance. Pretty much all of the ancestors ended up here, hanging around driving each other nuts for all eternity."

Sollux blinked. Okay, so he was crazy. He was imagining all of this and he was crazy. This was okay, he could handle it, he could figure something out to snap him out of it. Maybe he'd eaten some bad rations.

"You're not crazy."

"How did you…?"

"Because I'm an older version of you, and that's what I'd be thinking in this situation. You're  _not_ crazy."

Well…Kanaya  _had_ mentioned communing with her ancestor. Was it possible that this was real? But why would the ancestors be reaching out to their dancestors?

"Why are you here?" Sollux asked finally. His head was spinning.

"Because we can see you."

"…See me."

"Yeah! Did you know that some dream bubbles let you look straight into to the real world? And this is one of them! When we stand on the precipice and peer into the lowest point of the bubble, it falls through to Alternia. We can look down at you, see what you're all up to, and act accordingly. For the most part it's a pretty solid rule that we're not supposed to interfere. This time, though…"

His heart sank. If the Helmsman was coming to speak with him, then, something had to be seriously wrong.

Mituna shrugged. "I guess we're getting a little worried that you guys are going to meet the same fate as us. We're worried that you're already going down the wrong path, and that you're all going to die. Some of us have decided to take evasive measures."

"But not all of you?" he questioned. "Who exactly is in on this?"

Another shrug. "I know that the Dolorosa went to speak with your Maryam, and that the Signless is considering going to your Vantas, but I'm not sure about the others. I think I caught wind that the Grand Highblood was going to try and convince your version of Makara to follow in his footsteps."

"So you're not all on our side."

"We're on the same sides we've always been. I'm helping you because I want the Condesce dead. The Grand Highblood will help Gamzee because he wants him to serve the Empire. All of us are going to serve our own ends."

"That's horrible," he rasped. "If that's true, then we'll just end up doing the same thing you guys did! We'll lose the same way you did, cut down by the Condesce."

"Not everything is the same. All of you were born at the same time, unlike us. And beside that, Karkat has already been taken by the Empire."

"Wouldn't that be fitting, though?" Sollux said dryly. "If I'm remembering correctly, the Signless died first. Cut down by Zahhak."

"Yes, that's true, but he didn't die until he'd already started a following that would carry through even in death. That's what let Nitram and Serket begin their chapter of the rebellion. So if you lose Karkat now, before he's had the chance to work up a following…"

"But Karkat doesn't  _want_ a following," he protested. "He doesn't want to lead this time around. I'm the one leading."

"Then you'll lose. Trust me, Sollux. Vantas is a natural leader, just like his ancestor. If you get him in front of a crowd, he'll work wonders. This time, with all of you born at the same time, with Karkat as your leader, you can win. You can make this rebellion last."

"So you just want us to repeat history? You want us all to follow in your footsteps, even knowing that you lost last time? We should be changing things up, trying to find a different strategy that will let us win!"

"Trust me," Mituna repeated. "You  _need_ to follow in our footsteps, it's the only way you'll get this rebellion rolling! You need Karkat to lead you. You need to be his right hand, supporting him at every turn. And those among you like the Grand Highblood have to serve the Empire so that they can be cut down as an example."

"That's ridiculous. If we just let GZ and the others help us, we'll win easier! Killing them is counterintuitive! How do you know we won't win if we go our own way?"

"I just know. You're  _me,_ Sollux, just like Karkat is Kankri and Kanaya is Porrim and Gamzee is Kurloz. We're the same people. We're  _destined_ to do the same things, act the same ways, be  _identical_."

"Yeah? Well the Signless was in love with the Disciple in your timeline, and in ours he's in love with Ampora! So already there are already serious discrepancies!"

"That…will resolve itself."

"Oh yeah? And what about me and FF? What's going to happen there?"

"Oh, that one's easy. You're going to kill her."

Sollux froze. "What? What the fuck do you mean I'm going to kill FF?"

"I mean what I said. You'll kill her because it's her destiny to die along with her ancestor. There will be no place for another Empress in the new world you will create."

"She's my fucking matesprit!"

"For now. In time, you'll come around and realize that if you let her live, things will just go back to the way they were."

"She won't be like the Condesce," he insisted with a low, dangerous snarl. "She wants to create a fucking democracy! I won't kill her."

"You say that now, but you don't know what's coming. When desperation strikes, and you find yourself  _knowing_ that Feferi will bring nothing but sorrow, you'll strike."

"I—!"

"You'll kill her, Sollux, just like I tried to kill my version of Peixes. When the time comes, you won't be able to resist."

 

* * *

 

The doors slid open, and then Eridan was standing in the doorway with a pair of cuffs in hand. "It's time," he murmured. "We've docked."

Karkat knew they had. He'd felt the ship jolt, had heard the announcement over the intercom, had blinked back angry tears as he realized that his time was up. And now here Eridan was, just as planned, restraints in hand. He'd expected this.

"I have to cuff your hands," the seadweller said hesitantly. "Sorry, Kar…I wouldn't do it if I didn't have to."

He didn't say a thing. He just rose from where he was seated on the pile and turned, offering his back to Eridan. It wasn't long until he felt fingers close around first one wrist, then the other, slipping the cuffs on and tightening them until they were snug but not biting. He tested them and found that he had not an inch of slack. He was completely bound.

Eridan lingered just a bit. He drew his fingers over Karkat's wrists, up his arms. "It'll be okay," he whispered. "Don't be afraid."

Karkat gave a mute nod.

For a long moment, Eridan just watched him. Then he sighed, expression twisting sadly, and took Karkat by the arm to lead him out of the room.

It was the first time he'd been outside of Eridan's quarters since the night he'd been rescued from his cell. It hadn't changed. It was cold and sterile, steel plated and slick, and he hated it. It reminded him of his cell. It reminded him of Rohdan. He forced himself to take long, shuddering breaths as Eridan ushered him along. He couldn't panic now. He  _couldn't._ He felt like he'd been walking forever already.

Finally Eridan turned a final corner, took them down in the lift, and stopped right outside the exit to the ship.

"Vice Admiral Ampora!" said a troll that Karkat didn't recognize. "We've successfully docked aboard the flagship, sir! Everything is prepared for you to disembark."

Eridan offered the troll a crisp nod. "Good. Head down to the engineers and make sure they have the standard diagnostic report ready for the head technician."

"Yes sir!"

That troll vanished, but many others remained. All of Eridan's crew, waiting for him to tell them it was okay to leave. Even Rohdan was there, leaning against the far wall and just  _staring._ Karkat wished he could warp an arm around Eridan, or that the seadweller would reach out and take his hand, but he knew that couldn't happen so long as they were being watched. No one could know that the two of them knew each other as more than prisoner and captor.

"You're free to go," Eridan announced. "Report to your quarters and take the rest of the day to rest. Tomorrow, you're right back to your usual duties."

There was a chorus of agreeing words from the crew. Then the airlock was open, leading right onto the flagship, and Karkat was watching as the crew filed out one by one. It only took a few minutes for all of them to leave.

Then, only Rohdan was left.

The blueblood slowly drifted past the two of them, gaze hard and suspicious. "You'll see me around," he said, but it was unclear which of them he was speaking to. In any case, he was gone a moment later.

Eridan let out a sharp, rasping breath. "Okay," he whispered. "Are you ready?"

He wasn't. But still he forced out, "Yes."

"Okay," Eridan repeated. "Okay." He moved forward, taking Karkat with him, and the two of them emerged onto the deck of the flagship.

The Condesce was just a step away.


	16. End of Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karkat and Eridan attend a party and see a familiar face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy belated 4/13! I was originally going to post a bonus chapter to this story, but I decided to just write and post a new short story, which you can find the beginning of [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14311668/chapters/33021480)! Mind the warnings, because things get real graphic real fast.
> 
> Also, I need to warn you guys that things are going to get pretty heavy pretty fast in the next few chapters of this story, too! Those noncon tags are about to get serious. Despite that, I do hope you enjoy, and thanks for the support!
> 
> This week's chapter is [End of Line](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSDN1pmFX0I) by Daft Punk. Something a little different this week to match the final scenes!

Someone Karkat didn't recognize was waiting for them when they stepped off of Eridan's cruiser and onto the lower deck of the Empire's flagship. The place was an organized mess, really, with trolls running this way and that to make sure the docked ship was stable, working on other ships that were already in the hanger, tinkering with engines and testing thrusters and just generally doing a whole bunch of mechanical fuckery that Karkat didn't understand. No one was really paying attention to them, which was a relief. Karkat had half expected to be confronted with an entire squadron of troops, waiting to escort him right to the Condesce.

"Vice Admiral, sir," greeted the unfamiliar troll. "Good to know you made it here in one piece."

Eridan gave a terse nod. "Lieutenant Eiffel. I trust everything ran smoothly in my absence?"

"Yes, sir! There were no incidents we couldn't handle."

"Good." Eridan started to step forward, then paused. His eyes flickered back to Karkat, just for a moment, regretfully. "I…suppose I should go about reportin' to the Condesce.

"Actually, about that…"

The seadweller frowned. "Has something occurred that I should know about, Lieutenant?"

The troll swallowed hard. "Nothing bad, Vice Admiral Ampora. While you were away we finished conquering this sector."

From the way Eridan's eyes widened, he guessed that 'conquering this sector' was a big deal. "Shit, really? That means we have the whole system, then."

Eiffel nodded. "Yes, this solar system is under our control now."

"Well, damn." Eridan shook his head. "We've been tryin' to take over this system for nearly a sweep, and I don't even get to be there for the final battle?"

"I'm sure your mission was just as important, sir, for the Condesce to send you back to Alternia."

Eridan gave a short dip of the head. "Indeed. Now get out of my way, I need to see the Condesce." Again he pushed forward, and again Eiffel blocked his way. "Is there a problem?" Eridan growled.

"Yes, actually! The Condesce sent me to intercept you and tell you that due to the sudden capturing of this solar system, she won't be available until late tomorrow night. She's had to go to the surface of the main planet of the system in order to instigate Alternian control over their central government."

Karkat's skin prickled. They'd come all this way, he'd suffered so much, and now he was going to have to wait even more? He just wanted to  _know_ what was going to happen to him. If he had to wait any longer, he thought he might die. The anticipation was beginning to get to him.

Eridan seemed to sense it. He pressed back subtly, letting his fingertips skate across Karkat's flesh, and let out a soft, nearly inaudible hum. If they'd been alone, Karkat was sure he'd be drawn in for an almost sickeningly pale hug.

"What am I expected to do in the meantime?" Eridan demanded. His harsh demeanor was still being kept up. "I have a prisoner of great importance to her, in case it wasn't obvious."

Eiffel's eyes (purple,  _so_ purple, just a hair below indigo) flitted over to Karkat momentarily. Then, "In the meantime, the Condesce has asked you to attend the celebration taking place in honor of the subjugation of this most recent solar system, as per usual. You're not required to make any kind of speech or announcement, merely show your face there as the Vice Admiral. The fleet captains will all be in attendance, as will several lower ranking officers and the crew of this ship."

Karkat tensed. If Eridan was going to be at some ridiculous 'we destroyed an entire solar system' party, then what would happen to him?

"What about him?" Eridan asked, echoing his thoughts exactly.

"The Condesce wished for him to attend with you."

_What?_

"What?"

Eiffel shook his head. "I didn't ask her intentions, or I would tell you of them. She merely asked for you to take the prisoner with you for the duration of the celebration. Perhaps some sort of intimidation tactic? I'm not sure."

"I…I see." Eridan rubbed at his eyes tiredly. "Is that all?"

"Yes sir. The celebration has already begun, but you're not required to be there immediately. The Condesce has granted you a few hours to unwind, if you wish."

The seadweller gave a sharp nod. "Right. You're dismissed, then."

Eiffel bowed once and was gone, vanishing into the throng of workers skittering along the hangar. Just like that, Karkat was alone with Eridan once again.

Finally Eridan turned and addressed Karkat directly. "Are you okay?" he asked softly. "Not too overwhelmed?"

His head was still spinning. "I'm fine, idiot. Who was that guy? I thought you were the second in command, but he seemed to be ordering you around real fucking good."

"That was Lieutenant Eiffel," Eridan explained with a wince. "He's lower in rank than Rohdan, but he's sort of the Condesce's messenger. Runs around the ship and tells everyone when they're fucked. Don't want to mess with him even as the Vice Admiral, seein' as his orders are comin' directly from  _her_."

"And what's this about a fucking  _party?_ What are you, a freshly hatched wiggler? Why are you throwing  _parties_  out here?"

"It's a tradition," was the response. "Every time we capture a whole system, all the captains and commandin' officers gather with the crew and have a rousin' little celebration. This one took nearly a sweep, so it's bound to be a little crazier than most. They're not formal at all, really, so don't flip your shit. It'll be…" He trailed off uncertainly. "I'll make sure it's fine. No one is gettin' their hands on you."

The mere fact that Eridan had to reassure him of that didn't make him feel confident. "And I'm required to go  _why,_ exactly?"

Eridan shook his head. "Honestly? Knowin' the Condesce, she probably just wants to scare you a little. And if she wants you scared, this is probably the perfect way to do it."

Well. That was comforting.

"Stick close to me," Eridan said, starting to draw him along. "Your clothes make you stick out like a sore thumb, and I don't want anyone noticin' that you're different."

"Where are we going?"

"Back to my room. The Condesce said I had a few hours to relax before I had to attend the celebration, so we're gonna use them."

Again, not much of a comfort. But considering the circumstances, he thought he'd take what he could get.

Eridan took him by the arm. "Come on. There's not a whole lot of time left."

 

* * *

 

Eridan's room… wasn't like he expected it to be. When they arrived he saw that it was cold and sterile with metal walls and dark corners, and Karkat found himself staring in confusion at the fact that there were no decorations of any kind. No tapestries, no trinkets,  _nothing._ It wasn't even very large, just a few basic rooms that held only the bare necessities for standard living. He wasn't sure how Eridan, someone that loved pumping himself up with flashy odds and ends, could stand living in a place that was so drab.

"Make yourself comfortable," Eridan said, releasing the cuffs and letting Karkat walk free. "We've got a few hours."

He took a few steps further into the main room. It was just so…so  _dark._ "You live here?" he asked.

Eridan shrugged, saying, "When I'm not in combat. I'm busy a lot, so I mostly just end up sleepin' here on rare nights. Most of the time there's not really time to sleep at all."

His heart ached just a little. For the first time he found himself considering the possibility that maybe Eridan's life wasn't as cushy and elegant as he'd led himself to believe. This place…it was hardly paradise.

_No, he's still the Vice Admiral. He's still in charge of practically everyone on this ship when the Condesce doesn't have time to oversee them, which means he has what he's always wanted—authority. I can't let him fool me into pitying him._

"Look," Eridan murmured. "Kar…I'm not gonna lie. This celebration we have to go to…it's probably not gonna be pretty. Not for you."

"I picked up on that, fuckass."

He winced. "Sorry. It's just…I don't want you to be scared. It'll probably be a little frightenin', but I said I'd stop anyone from touchin' you and I will."

Karkat just nodded. He stepped into the room and slid down into one of the chairs in the living area. It was too firm. He had a feeling, sitting there, that there was more Eridan wanted to say, more he wanted to warn him about. But the pressure of the situation was getting to both of them. They both knew that in less than a day the Condesce would return to the flagship, Karkat would be taken in to see her, and that would be that. She would either torture him for the information or hold him as a bargaining chip, or both. Or—and this was the truly terrifying thing, Karkat thought—she would do something  _else._

He could handle certainty. He could handle the certainty that at the very least, he would be interrogated by the Condesce. But the unknown…that was what truly terrified him. The fact that the Condesce could have some other plan that he didn't know about. The fact that she could have something set up that would cause him far more pain than he could imagine.

He could only hope that this twisted celebration went by quickly, and that the Condesce returned ahead of schedule. He wasn't sure how much longer he could force himself to wait.

Time passed. Karkat wasn't sure how long. He just sat there, curled into himself, while Eridan shuffled around in the bathroom. Before, when he'd been scared out of his wits, it had been manageable…but now…the pressure in his abdomen was starting to really get to him. The slow build over the past several weeks was finally reaching a point of serious discomfort, and there was a part of him that wished he'd taken Eridan up on his offer to help while they still had the time. If the Condesce just killed him, maybe he wouldn't have to deal with the situation.

He…kind of really wanted the Condesce to kill him, he thought.

"Okay, Kar," came a quiet voice, the bathroom door swinging open. Eridan stepped out wearing a crisp military uniform, medals lined up neatly over his breast pocket. "Time to get dressed."

He barely managed a weak snarl. "What ridiculous fuckery are you going to force me into, Ampora?"

"Hey, hey!" Eridan soothed, raising his hands. "It's just a new shirt, don't flip your shit. Plain black, nothin' weird." He shuffled over to the cabinet and tossed a plain black long-sleeved shirt his way. "The others will ask questions if you're wearin' my sign."

He glared. But still he obeyed, stripping himself of Eridan's Aquarius shirt and sliding on the blank one offered to him. He'd do anything he could to avoid drawing attention to himself.

"Be thankful you weren't ordered to wear a slave's uniform," Eridan murmured. "They're…less decent."

He didn't even want to know.

The seadweller motioned to the door. "Come on, Kar. I'm not gonna cuff you again, so just make sure you're stayin' right next to me the whole time. Keep your head down and your mouth shut."

"Fine, just—"

" _Seriously."_ He paced closer and fixed Karkat with a deadly serious gaze. "Don't speak unless you really feel you have to. The more you open your mouth, the more of a risk there'll be that people will figure out somethin's wrong. And here, put these in."

Karkat raised a hand to catch the tiny plastic case when it was chucked his way. "Contacts?"

"It'll hide your blood color.

"Pretty sure the bruises and cuts will give me away."

"Put them in anyways. It'll be a little added protection."

Whatever it took, he supposed. He put them in quickly and quietly, then raised his eyes for Eridan to see.

He came closer. One step, two, and then he was standing right in front of Karkat, so close that their chests were almost touching. One hand reached up to slide fingers across the flesh beneath his eye, and Karkat's breath caught in his throat as Eridan murmured, "Good. You look like a rustblood, as long as nobody looks too close at the wounds."

Most of them were bandaged, anyways. With any luck he'd slip right under the radar.

"Follow me," Eridan ordered, and then they were moving.

The hallways were plated steel, or maybe aluminum to help reduce weight. It was very cold. Space in general, he learned, was cold as fuck. There wasn't a lot of foot traffic in the hallways, luckily, seeing as everyone was apparently already in the massive room that had ben set aside for the purpose of celebrating the complete subjugation of an entire species. It made for a somewhat  _almost_ comfortable journey.

Karkat could tell when they got close. He could hear the excited chatter coming from the trolls in the room, could hear laughing and clinking glasses and…

He paled. That…didn't sound appropriate. What the fuck was going on in there?

"Keep your head down," Eridan reiterated in a hushed whisper. "I'll keep you safe."

He nodded. Then, making sure to keep himself in front, Eridan walked into the room.

Karkat was assaulted by a barrage of smells and sights and sounds, and his brain almost shut down then and there. No one seemed to notice Eridan walk in, which was a relief seeing as he'd half been expecting there to be some kind of formal announcement like, 'the Vice Admiral has arrived, everyone please proceed to kiss his ass!' But no. Eridan just walked in, keeping Karkat closely behind him, and casually strolled forward.

At a first glance, the party actually looked surprisingly normal. Just a whole lot of highbloods in military uniform, chatting with each other and eating from a large table of food, standing around with drinks in hand. There were a lot of them there, so many that Karkat couldn't see to the other wall of the room. It seemed almost average in terms of celebration. Nothing untoward. But the more he looked the more he really  _saw,_ and soon enough he caught on to what was really going on.

He saw the slaves. He picked them out immediately from the color of their eyes and the tense way they held themselves.

Wait, no—that was a lie. He noticed them because of their  _uniforms._

"They're hardly wearing anything," he hissed, breaking Eridan's rule of not speaking. "What the  _fuck_ , Eridan?"

The seadweller growled warningly at him. "Quiet!"

He really didn't want to be quiet. Those slaves were practically in their undergarments, for god's sake! He'd heard the stories of what the slaves on the flagship were intended for, but this…

"Vice Admiral!" chirped an unfamiliar voice. A moment later there was a blueblood talking to Eridan, talking about some battle he hadn't gotten to take part in due to his journey to Alternia, and Karkat felt more alone than ever.

He found himself scanning the party further. The room really was massive, though the ceiling was relatively low and the lights were strangely dim. It was warm, unlike the rest of the ship he'd seen. And the mood…it was somehow  _electric,_ like everyone was waiting for something.  _What are you waiting for?_

He was still hearing those noises. Those vulgar, uncomfortable noises that had caught his attention from the hall. He wasn't sure he wanted to find the source, but still he searched, and still he was unable to find a thing that could explain it.

A flicker of movement caught his attention. His eyes tracked a rustblood moving through the crowd, a young male in a slave's uniform. He was carrying a serving tray of what looked like fizzy drinks in champagne glasses.

"Hello, sir, would you care for a drink?" the rustblood asked, not looking him in the eyes. He was just performing a routine, going up to guests and offering them refreshments, and so he hadn't noticed that Karkat wasn't like the others.

"N-no," Karkat stuttered out, "it's okay. Thanks for offering."

The rustblood paused. Then he blinked, raising his eyes in confusion, and in a heartbeat his whole form went tense. "You're—you're like me!" he said, sharp, alarmed. "Why are you out of uniform? They'll have your head!"

It took a moment for him to figure out what the rustblood meant. Then, in a flash, he remembered the contacts that made his blood color look just a shade darker. "I'm not!" he exclaimed. A bit too loudly, unfortunately, as it grabbed Eridan's attention.

The seadweller paused his conversation to lean over and wave the rustblood away. "Off you go!" he ordered. "We're fine here."

The rustblood dipped his head like he was expecting to be slapped. "Yes sir," he whispered like a prayer, and then he was darting off into the crowd.

Karkat watched him go. Was that how all the slaves were? So conditioned, so trained to flinch at the drop of highblood's hat? He wondered what horrors they'd seen aboard this ship. What things they'd been forced to experience.

Eridan nudged him suddenly. "We're goin' to move a little further in. Keep close."

He obeyed without question. The smell and look of this place had his head spinning, had his hair standing on end, and so he could only press close to Eridan in a desperate attempt to ground himself.

The further they moved into the party, the more disturbed he became. He could  _hear_ things,  _smell_ things, and it was making him sick. He was so tuned out that it was a complete shock when someone asked him something, and he had to turn his head and try to figure out what was going on.

Eridan was watching him dangerously. There was an unfamiliar troll standing in front of him, staring right at Karkat and waiting for the response to a question he hadn't heard.

"What?" Karkat rasped. "I didn't…"

The unfamiliar troll rolled his eyes. "Not very smart, is he?"

Eridan gave a tense nod. It was obvious that he was just as uncomfortable with the situation as Karkat. "He's a prisoner of war," the seadweller explained. "The Condesce ordered him here to speak with her."

"Part of the rebellion, then?"

"Something like that."

The troll gave a knowing smirk. "Got it. Well, guess he won't be breathing for much longer, then! Probably would have been better to die with all of his rebel friends."

A polite smile. "Probably."

Karkat tuned them back out after that. He went back to watching the party. Now that he was deeper in, he could see a little more. The tang of alcohol was thick in the air here. The party had clearly been going on for quite some time, seeing as it was quite late into the night (though did night really matter in deep space?), and he could tell that many of the guests were already drunk off their asses. Off to one side he could barely see a troll with long, sloping horns kissing one of the slaves, and his stomach lurched. They couldn't say  _no._ What kind of a life was this? How could the Empire think this was okay?

Out of nowhere a chill ran down his spine. Someone was watching him.

It only took him a moment to trace the gaze back to its source. Rohdan was leaning against the far wall, a pretty brownblood serving him a drink, watching Karkat with an iron gaze. The instant he saw the mutant looking, he flashed him a dark smirk.  _You're next,_ he seemed to be saying, hooking an arm around the brownblood's shoulders and drawing her close.  _I threatened to do it before, and I was serious. If you ever step away from Eridan for a second, I'll have you._

Karkat jerked his head away with a low whimper. He was scared. Despite himself, he was fucking  _terrified._

A low growl sounded. Eridan was watching Rohdan. A moment later Karkat was hooked by the arm and drawn even further into the room, cutting off Rohdan's gaze and shielding him with his body.

"Tell me if he starts watchin' you again," Eridan rumbled. "He's dangerous."

That, he could believe.

After that, things blurred together. Eridan dragged him around the room, always keeping him relatively shielded, and made nice with the other commanding officers. Karkat kept his eyes on the ground. He could hear some of the things that were going on around him, could hear slaves whining and whimpering and begging from dark corners, and he refused to see it. He wouldn't see what the Empire was doing, what they were calling okay. At the very least, Eridan tried to help. He tried to move every time Karkat started clinging to his jacket, tried to keep him out of the heat of the room, and he appreciated that. He did.

There was only so much Eridan could do, though.

"That's a pretty little tidbit you've got there," someone had purred at one point, and Karkat could  _feel_ the other troll's sick, twisted gaze on him, practically staring through his clothing. "Did you take him here to join the rest of them?"

Needless to say, Eridan hadn't taken the statement well.

After that particular troll had been sent off to the infirmary to have his face stitched shut, the party returned to its normal buzz. Karkat actually started to think that he could do it. He started to think that he could ignore everything, keep his forehead pressed into the back of Eridan's jacket and close his eyes until everything stopped existing.

That was a lie that began and ended when a voice that was so different but so  _familiar_ called out, "Yo, fins, what's up?"

Karkat stiffened immediately.  _No. It can't be._

Someone was pushing their way through the throng towards them. He caught the flash of bright fangs. A glimpse of dark blue. A peep at a pair of horns, hooked on one side, curved like a cup on the other.

"Hey!" that same voice sounded, and then she was standing in front of them. "Long time no see, fins! Heard you got your lame ass sent back to Alternia to take care of those filthy rebels!"

He hid behind Eridan. His heart was pounding.

The seadweller seemed way too relaxed for the situation. He melted as soon as he saw her, an easy grin overtaking him, and jibed, "They could only send the  _best_  of us to take 'em out."

"Shoulda sent me, not you," was the scoffing response. "Everyone knows I'm way more of a badass than the likes of you. Maybe  _I_  should have been the Vice Admiral!"

"You're welcome to fight me for it if you think you're worthy, lowly landdweller that you are."

"Oh you are  _on,_ fishfuck! Just try and fight me, I'll—" She paused. "Hey, who's that scrap hiding behind you?"

Finally,  _finally,_ Eridan tensed. "Oh, um…that's…"

Karkat yelped as Eridan was suddenly wrenched to one side. He looked up, up, up some more, and found himself suddenly standing in front of someone he'd been hoping to never see again.

Vriska Serket stared down at him in shock.  _"Karkat?"_

Immediately Eridan was between them, but the damage had been done.

"Karkat? What the fuck?" Vriska tried to sidestep, to get a better look at him, but Eridan blocked her mercilessly.

"Vris," he hissed, " _stop."_

"Stop? You want me to  _stop?_ Fins, that's Karkat fucking Vantas! The guy that's  _dead?_ The guy that you spent about four sweeps sobbing over in your room?"

"I did not sob!"

"Don't lie to me, jackass! You told me he was dead, and—Eridan, what the  _fuck_  is he doing here?"

"He's…" Eridan trailed off, obviously not quite sure what to say. But he evidently came to the conclusion that he couldn't lie, not to Vriska, because he ended up muttering, "He's a prisoner."

"A prisoner," Vriska echoed, unimpressed. "Karkat, do you have anything to say about this?"

He wasn't supposed to speak. But in this case… "I'm Sollux's kismesis."

She arched a brow. "And? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Sollux is leading the rebellion."

Vriska froze. She just stared, eyes wide, tension written in every line of her body. "No shit. Really?"

Eridan intercepted before he could keep talking. "Really," he growled, shooting Karkat a warning look. "We're here by request of the Condesce. She wants to see him and, ah… _ask_  about the location of the rebel base."

Her eye twitched just slightly in what could have been construed as masked concern. "You mean she's going to torture him."

"We don't know what she's going to do to him. I'm just obeyin' orders."

Vriska's expression was unreadable. "You're delivering your own matesprit to the Empress."

"I have no choice, Vris! She ordered me to do it!"

"And if she ordered you to dive headlong into a combustion engine, would you do that too?  _Coward_."

"What are you suggestin', that I go against the Condesce?"

Immediately, Vriska's demeanor flipped. "No, of course not. Forget I said anything."

_She's afraid,_ Karkat realized.  _She doesn't want to bring the Condesce down on her, just like everyone else here. She won't stand up to her. Vriska…I never thought I'd see you back down from a fight._

Eridan jumped to change the subject. "Were you in the last battle for the system?"

Vriska answered, but a sharp yelp caught Karkat's attention. He looked up to see the rustblood slave from earlier stumble, then crash to the ground with a shriek of pain. Vriska and Eridan hadn't even blinked, hadn't looked over, but Karkat had seen it. He'd seen the tealblood leaning against the wall trip him, send him sprawling to the ground at his feet. The glass the slave had been carrying shattered, spreading tiny pieces all over the ground.

"Clumsy little shit!" the tealblood snarled. There was a dangerous, sadistic gleam in her eyes. "You should be more careful; you could have dropped that on my foot!"

The rustblood tried to push himself up, then screeched when the tealblood ground him into the floor with the heel of his boot.

"Apologize," the tealblood ordered.  _"Now."_

"I'm sorry." It was spoken through gritted teeth. The rustblood was barely holding back a growl.

"That's not what I  _meant."_  A fist closed around the slave's collar and hauled him up. He was shorter than the tealblood, so short that his feet dangled a good half-foot off the ground by the time he was yanked up to eye level. Then the tealblood turned, sharply, and slammed the rustblood into the wall. He slid down until his toes were just barely touching the ground.

_Why isn't anyone doing anything?_ Karkat looked around to see if anyone was paying attention, but not a soul had noticed. Or if they had, they didn't care enough to pay attention.

"Be good for me and I'll forgive you," came a rumbling purr. There was a flurry of movement. For just a moment Karkat was confused, wondering what was happening—but then the tealblood shifted just a little, hauled one of the rustblood's legs up over her forearm, and he understood with a wave of nauseating clarity.

He jerked his head away just as the rustblood let out a soft, terrified moan. He remembered Eridan telling him about slave uniforms, about how they were revealing, but he'd never in his worst moments imagined that they'd have a long, narrow slit over the groin, perfect for the tealblood's purposes.

Suddenly Karkat wished that Eridan had killed the troll that had suggested that he was only there to become a slave.

"Kar?" Eridan asked, concerned, and Karkat realized that he'd started digging his claws into the seadweller's forearm. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Can we go?" he rasped.

Eridan blinked. Then he raised his head and frowned. "Oh. Oh no." He turned back to Vriska and said, "Vris, can we wrap this up?"

"Wha—?" She looked beyond the two of them. "Oh. Yeah, I should probably go contact Terezi anyway. Haven't spoken with her since the battle, so she doesn't exactly know I'm alive. See you around?"

Eridan gave an unsteady nod. "See you around."

Vriska vanished, and Eridan stooped to look Karkat in the face. "Kar," he whispered, "do you want to leave?"

He said it like it wasn't obvious.  _"Yes."_

There was a pause. Then a nod, sharp and businesslike, and Eridan said, "Okay. We've been here long enough."

They moved. Karkat clung to Eridan, struggling to drown out the rustblood's rattled moans of pain and the tealblood's satisfied grunts, the chirping of another slave being taken advantage of not ten feet away, the various noises that now made far too much sense to him. He didn't want to hear. He didn't want to be awake anymore.

"You're okay," Eridan was whispering, no doubt sensing his building panic. "Calm down, Kar, you're okay…no one's gonna touch you. You gotta hold it together a little longer, then you can cry all you want."

Eridan moved with more and more purpose. He couldn't hold Karkat, not here, but he kept up the senseless whisperings as he slid through the crowd towards the exit. Thankfully they passed uninterrupted into the hall. The worst of the smells and sounds and sights vanished in a heartbeat.

Karkat couldn't take another moment. The instant they were out of sight, tucked away in the hall, he slid to the ground and wrapped himself up in a ball. Earlier he had thought,  _I want Gamzee,_ but now he wasn't so naïve. Now he knew that he didn't want, he  _needed._ He was half a second from a psychotic break, and without Gamzee there was no one to calm him down.

"Shit," Eridan hissed. There was a thud as he dropped to his knees in front of him. "Shit, Kar, come on…we need to get back to my room before anyone sees us."

He couldn't move. His head was spinning with images he didn't want to see, with sounds he didn't want to hear. He wanted to go home.

"It's all going to be okay, I  _promise_. If we just get back to my quarters I can sit with you in the pile and I can try to help."

_Clumsy little shit,_ whispered the figment in Karkat's memories. He whimpered.

"Kar!"

_Apologize. Now._

"Kar—!"

_Be good for me and I'll forgive you._

His head wouldn't stop. His body felt too heavy, shaking. He was sweaty. Trembling. Fingertips were on his face, tilting his head up. Amethyst eyes locked onto his, but he wasn't looking.

"Karkat," Eridan whispered, his full name falling like honey from his lips, thick and sickly sweet. " _Karkat_."

Then he was kissing him.

Karkat blinked, stunned, all of the voices in his head lowering to a dull hum as Eridan gently pressed their lips together. It was soft, chaste—more pale than anything else, if he really thought about it, which was probably exactly the point. Eridan drew back, pressed back in, drew back, pressed in again, peppering his face with soft, light kisses in a blatant attempt to emulate pale romance. He kissed his cheeks, his forehead, the tip of his nose, the top of his head, before returning to his lips for a kiss that lingered just a little longer than could be considered pale.

"Kar," Eridan breathed, " _listen_  to me. You're safe. I have you, and you're safe. I fuckin'  _love_ you, I can't let anyone else touch you. I'll do what I did to that troll I sent to the infirmary if anyone so much as looks at you wrong."

He knew it wasn't true. Soon the Condesce would be hurting him, doing whatever she pleased to him, and Eridan wouldn't lift a finger. But for now he needed the comfort, needed to pretend that Eridan cared enough to  _really_ keep him safe, and so he let himself melt into the embrace of his former matesprit. "Eridan," he keened quietly, nearly inaudibly.

"Shh…I've got you, Kar, you're safe." Another kiss, soft and deep. Outside the realm of the moirallegiance he was attempting to mimic. "Now…is it okay if I pick you up? I'll carry you back to my room, then we can curl up in the pile and rest for a while."

He gave a mute nod. He was so overwhelmed, beat down by the stress of the past few days and still struggling to recover physically, strained by his mutations, and he desperately wanted to sleep. He needed to feel safe, if only for a while.

Eridan relaxed a little. "Okay. Okay, Kar."

Arms were beneath him. One hooked under his shoulders, the other under the crooks of his knees, lifting him gently. Karkat leaned into Eridan without question. He wanted to kiss him again. But Eridan was moving, carrying him down the hall, and he could do nothing but press his lips lightly to the seadweller's collarbone as he went.

They reached the room. Eridan locked the door behind him and headed for his bedroom, where there was a pile just like the one aboard his ship. He settled Karkat down into it with a soft whisper, promising comfort and sweetness and all the good things in the world. Fingertips brushed to his hornbeds and massaged, pressed, released, swirled in circles, filling Karkat with subduing biochemicals. If he'd been in his right mind, he would have been upset that Eridan was invoking such a reflex. Now, though, he thought he needed to feel boneless.

"Is this okay?" Eridan whispered, dipping to kiss him again.

It wasn't. It really wasn't.

But right now, Karkat couldn't do anything more than cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next chapter, Karkat comes face to face with the Condesce.


	17. The Second Hand Ticks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karkat meets the Condesce, and it goes about as well as one could expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bad things happen in this chapter, my dudes. 
> 
> Well, I guess it's not that bad compared to what's coming next, but still. I hope you're ready! And in other news, the second chapter of my minific is up now! Check it out [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14311668/chapters/33209670) if you're interested.
> 
> This week's chapter is [ The Second Hand Ticks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0DbGoAljug) by Audiomachine.

The Helmsman's warning kept echoing in his head. Over and over, on a perpetual loop, repeating on a program specifically wired by his brain to slowly drive him insane.

_Karkat is meant to lead the rebellion. Not you. You are meant to protect him, as I was meant to protect the Signless. History will repeat itself, but this time with a twist. It will all play out the same, in the beginning. You will get Karkat back, because you_ must  _get him back, and then he will take your place as leader while you become his second in command. Your version of the Dolorosa will rise to his defense. Your version of the Disciple will seek him out and offer up her life to anyone making an attempt on his. Makara will go to join the Empire, having plucked some poor soul up to act as his moirail so that he can enter the field of battle and wreak havoc upon all his enemies. He will become the Grand Highblood. Nitram and Serket will become your generals, joined together under the same banner as their ancestors were in life. They have been born earlier this time, as has your Redglare, but still they will serve the same purpose. Ampora will serve the Empire fully and completely until death. And Peixes…she will die, as the Condesce will die, finally changing the tide of war as we attempted to do so long ago. This world cannot have another fuchsia ruler._

Sollux shuddered. The Helmsman had been so confident, had stared him dead in the face as he told him that he was destined, his  _friends_ were destined, to repeat history until the crucial moment in which they slaughtered the Condesce and won.

He didn't believe in destiny, he told himself for the hundredth time. Things were already so different from what their ancestors had faced, so how could destiny ever come into play? Surely, if this was simply going to be the same dance once played out by their ancestors, Karkat would have already attempted to start a rebellion. Or at the very least he would have shown  _some_ interest. If history was destined to repeat itself,  _surely_ people like Gamzee would already be in full service of the Empire. Surely Feferi would be growing in power and fully prepared to take down the Condesce, taking her place.

None of that was happening. And beside that, there were a thousand other discrepancies between them and their ancestors. Sollux had created the rebellion, for example, not Karkat. Karkat didn't want anything to do with it. Apart from that, their quadrants were completely different. Karkat had fallen in love with  _Eridan,_ for fuck's sake. How was that the same? How was that  _destiny?_

_It's not,_ was the answer.  _It's not destiny._

So…why was he so unsettled by the Helmsman's warning?

_Maybe you're afraid that he's right, at least to a degree. Maybe you're afraid that while the journey will be different, the end result will be the same. Karkat dies, Kanaya is sold into slavery as punishment for her betrayal, Gamzee turns on us, Vriska is stabbed through the chest, Aradia ends up isolated in time, Eridan is decimated, Tavros is cut down, Nepeta ends up hiding out in some desolate cave for the rest of her life, Terezi is strung up by the Empire, Equius is exiled and left miserable and alone, Feferi ends up either slaughtered by her ancestor or taking her place, and you…_

_And you become her battery._

A battery. Hollowed out and wired into the helm of the flagship. Devoid of anything but the concept of pain, the concept of loneliness, the concept of finally being allowed to die. The very fate he'd tried to avoid by going into hiding in the first place.

What if it was true? What if they were all just going to end up sharing the fates of their ancestors?

He looked back at Tavros from where he was seated at his computer chair. The brownblood had been staying with him for the past few days since he'd 'died,' and now he was looking over one of the captured drones with innocent curiosity. If the Helmsman was right, and they were all destined to run themselves in a cosmic loop, then they were practically already dead. What did it matter that he'd saved Tavros? What did it matter that Karkat was gone?

_No. That's a foolish question. Destiny or not, the Helmsman seemed convinced that we could break the loop in order to kill the Condesce, even if it meant we had to follow in their footsteps up to a certain point before we were allowed to deviate. He seemed to believe that although we may have to copy them initially in order to get the rebellion on its feet, we would be able to change fate. We might be able to save ourselves from our ancestors' fates. If that's true, then it does matter that I saved Tavros, and it_ does _matter that Karkat's been taken. It matters because I can still keep them from dying._

"This is really, impressive!"

Sollux looked up, draw out of his stupor by Tavros's cheery voice. "What?"

The brownblood gestured to where Sollux had ripped out a drone's central control panel in order to rewire it. "I, um, don't know much about electronics, but, it looks like you've made some real progress!"

"It looks better than it is," he corrected. "I've spent hours on that damn thing to no avail. Can't get the piece of garbage to boot up without it trying to kill everyone."

Tavros just shook his head in awe. "Still. If you could, get this thing working, then you could do some real, um, damage to the on-world military. We weren't trained to fight drones."

_"No one_ is trained to fight drones. If a drone is attacking you, they  _want_  you to curl up and die."

"Good, um, point." Tavros circled around to the other side. The drone's optics were hanging out of their sockets, and he poked at them with a fingertip. "I bet Equius could repair it."

"That's useless if I can't reprogram it," Sollux pointed out. "If he repairs it and its mother program is still intact, it'll just go troll Terminator on our asses."

"True, but I used to attend those, um, tech seminars they gave to the programmers, and I'm pretty sure that drones, carry their personality programing in various, um, mechanical brains, I guess, that are located in different sections of the body. It's harder for enemies to disable it that way."

"So…" He frowned. "You're saying that you could target the right pieces of hardware, yank them out, and it would leave a blank slate for me to program my own commands into it?"

"Well it's a lot more, um, complicated than that. It's really delicate, and it's not like the hardware I'd have to target is, like, all in one location. It was purposefully designed so that there are, um, different 'brains,' I guess, all throughout the drone. They're all in different sections. That way it's, um, harder for someone to just disable it in a fight."

It made sense, really. If  _he'd_ been trying to build a machine that was hard to take down, he wouldn't put the brain in one place. He'd place multiple copies of the programing in multiple places, multiple pieces of hardware, that way if it was shot through the chest or had an arm ripped off it would still be able to access its mother program. As long as it remained relatively structurally stable, it would have copies of its programing to fall back on. Hard to disable, hard to reprogram.

"That's why I can't reprogram it," Sollux realized. "Every time I rewrite one version of its programming, it just seemed to magically fix itself by the time I return to it. I could never figure out what was fixing it, seeing as the thing was shut down, but if there's more than one copy of the code and it's running on some kind of auxiliary power that I'm not detecting, it could somehow have been able to scan for unauthorized changes in the code and repair them with the stored copies."

Tavros's eyes glazed over with confusion. "Um…right. That totally, um, makes sense."

It obviously didn't, not to Tavros. But still Sollux said, "Theoretically I could finally manage to reprogram it if I located all iterations of the program and removed the consequent hardware. But it's so delicate that if I try to mess with the mechanisms surrounding its mechanical brains, so to speak, I risk completely wrecking the drone's fine motor functions, or worse, its central processor." He shook his head. "I'm a programmer, not a mechanic. I'm not sure I can do it."

"You should, um, call Equius."

"And have him report me to the Empire? No thank you."

Tavros deflated. "Oh…good point. How are you going to, get the drone functional, then?"

"I don't know, TV. I just don't know."

Silence. Tavros stood there, eyes locked on the felled drone, and just stared. "You're not doing very well. The rebellion, I mean. Am I right?"

Sollux thought back to the night that several of his best trolls had been snatched up by Eridan's squadron, and shuddered. "No," he admitted. "We're not. There aren't that many of us, though we're growing in number each day, and most of the members are children without the strength necessary to go toe to toe with highblood adults like the ones running the military."

A slow nod. "What are you going to, um, do?"

What  _was_ he going to do? He'd gained publicity in taking those warehouses over, and there had been a relatively decent influx of recruits who were willing to go against the Alternian government (they were nearly two hundred in number now, according to Ladcai's headcount), but that had been the best of it. They still didn't have enough resources, enough fire power, enough  _anything_ to really pose a threat to the Empire. When they'd spoken, the Helmsman had told him that Karkat would be the person to really garner support. He would return, flash his blood color to the masses, and immediately everyone would remember the Signless and flock to him. His speeches, vulgar though they may have been, would inspire the populous to revolution.

So, then, the solution was obvious.

"I need Karkat."

Tavros blinked. "What?"

"Karkat," he repeated. "The Sufferer. The Signless. Whatever the hell you want to call him. I need to get him back here, and I need to put him in front of a crowd."

"Isn't he, um, with Eridan? In space?"

"Yeah. Yeah, he is."

"Then how are you, going to get him back?"

He paused. Narrowed his eyes.

"I guess I'll take a risk. And I know the perfect troll call in."

 

* * *

 

Morning came, and Karkat awoke in Eridan's arms.

It hadn't been a good night. Nightmares kept him in and out of sleep, not at all eased by the fact that the two of them had chosen to sleep on the pile instead of in the recuperacoon. Every few hours he was dragged back to the waking world with tears in his eyes.

"Shh," Eridan had mumbled hazily every time Karkat jerked to life. "You're okay, I've got you, shh…" Then a sleepy kiss, more of a messy smear of lips than anything else, before the seadweller went limp again.

The night had passed in a similar manner. When Eridan finally shuffled and rose, mumbling something about checking his orders for the day, Karkat had gladly gotten up and locked himself in the bathroom to take a long shower. The water felt good against his healing wounds.

_I wish I could stay in here forever,_ Karkat thought, carefully rubbing soapy fingers over the worst of the wounds on his chest. They were fading, only offering a dull twinge whenever he moved wrong, but there would be scars. When he was done, he let himself soak under the warm water for just a few minutes longer before shutting everything off and reaching for a towel. He stepped up to the sink and ruffled his hair with the cloth.

He…looked different. It wasn't just the yellowish tint to his skin, or the ragged quality to his hair, or the barely visible bruises on his face and neck. Rather, it was his  _eyes_. His eyes, just slightly sunken and  _haunted,_ something dark hidden just beneath the surface. Before, on Alternia, he thought he'd been through hell. He'd looked in the mirror and thought that he looked more than beaten. Now, though, it was different. Now he looked  _dead_. Like someone had taken their claws to his insides and  _shredded,_ hooking them out through his stomach and replacing them with something empty and hollow.

Maybe there was nothing left in there, he thought. Maybe there hadn't been anything there for months. For sweeps. Who knew?

_No, no, no—you'll have time to be an angsty asshole if you survive this, so stop moping and get your head on straight! You don't have time to be depressed!_

He steeled himself. He could look in the mirror later and reminisce about how empty he felt. For now, he just needed to keep his mind clear and  _focus_.

Eridan knocked on the door. "Kar, are you done?"

He inhaled deeply, sharply. Released his breath in one long whoosh. Then, "Hang on, fuckass, I'm getting there!" He hung up his towel and yanked on his clothing. Then he swung the door open and stepped outside, where Eridan was standing there in uniform. He looked especially flashy today. "What's going on?"

The seadweller waved some kind of handheld computer thing. "I just received word from Lieutenant Eiffel. The Condesce is back."

_You will not panic. Take a deep breath, Vantas. Hold it. Let it out slowly. Repeat._

"Kar? Are you…?"

One more breath. Then, "I'm fine, Ampora. Let's just get this over with."

Eridan's expression twisted pitifully. "Are you sure?"

"We don't have a choice." He held out his hands, wrists together, and waited.

For a long moment, Eridan just stared. But he knew, as Karkat knew, that there was no choice. He reached into his sylladex and withdrew a pair of cuffs and a strip of cloth. "Sorry," the seadweller murmured as he hooked Karkat's wrists into the cuffs. "I…I have to gag you, too. Standard procedure for prisoners when they're brought before the Condesce so they can't speak out of turn."

He swallowed hard. In the end, though, he thought that maybe it was better for his voice to be taken away from him. It would stop him from saying anything stupid. "Go on, then," he rasped. "Do it."

Eridan winced. Then he reached out with painfully gentle fingers and wound the cloth around his head, lodging the strip between his teeth and pulling back until Karkat couldn't quite press his lips together over it. Yeah, there was no way he was going to be doing any sort of talking through that thing.

"Too tight?" Eridan asked, and Karkat shook his head in response. "Okay, good. I'm going to take you there now. You have to stay in front of me, and…I'll have the Crosshairs out. Standard procedure, again."

_Not panicking,_ he reminded himself.  _So what if I have to walk in front? Eridan's still going to keep anything from happening on the way there. He said he wouldn't let anyone touch me, and he proved it last night. It'll be okay._

"Here we go," Eridan said.

He swallowed hard. Nodded.  _Let's just get out of here._

The journey to the Condesce's throne room felt like it took forever. Every step fell just a little bit heavier as Eridan guided him from hallway to hallway, through rooms large and small, weaving their way toward the very heart of the ship. Karkat tried to keep his eyes down as he walked. The flagship was truly a den of iniquity, and he was slowly beginning to understand that the behavior he'd seen at the party the previous night was an everyday sort of thing. Or maybe it was just happening more often since they'd just finished conquering a solar system, and they were on a kind of vacation until the Condesce decided which part of the galaxy to conquer next. It made him feel sick.

After what seemed like hours, Eridan stopped in front of a door guarded by two trolls. "Step aside," he said simply, and the trolls didn't waste a moment in skirting around to let him through. The seadweller pushed open the door, stepped into the hallway, and Karkat gulped as he saw a pair of massive double doors at the other end. He knew without asking that those were the doors that led to the Condesce's throne room.

"This is it," Eridan whispered. "Are you ready?"

A nod.

"Okay. Kar…I love you."

His eyes slid closed.  _Eridan…_

Then the seadweller was reaching forward, placing the flats of his palms against the doors, and opening them with one sharp push.

Just like that, she was there.

Time seemed to slow down. He followed Eridan, now trailing behind him by a few inches, feet dragging at the ground with every step. He was trying not to look directly at the Condesce. He knew she was there, sitting in her throne at the end of the aisle, watching them with those piercing eyes. He could feel it. But if he just kept his eyes down, refused to look at her…

"Eridan," came a low purr, and Karkat shuddered from horntip to toe at the sound of it. Her voice was the stuff of nightmares. "I'm  _so_  glad you made it here in one piece."

Eridan dropped to one knee and lowered his head. "Of course, Empress."

Karkat froze. Eridan was kneeling. Should he kneel? No, no, that was  _dumb_ —he wasn't in her service! But now he was just kind of standing there, and she wasn't looking at him yet but she would be soon, and his chest tightened with impending panic.

The Condesce rumbled out a low, disapproving sound that made Karkat's every muscle lock up. "Fins, knock that guppy to his knees."

Eridan went stiff. He was practically radiating  _I don't want to do this,_ but what choice did he have? The Condesce had ordered him.

_It's okay,_ Karkat wanted to tell him, even though it wasn't.  _I understand._

It was quick. There was a flutter of movement, a hand at his neck, a sharp pain at the backs of his knees as Eridan's boot slammed into them, and then Karkat was screeching from behind the gag as blinding pain seared through his legs. He hit the ground hard, held up only by Eridan's hand on the back of his neck, and had to bite back a pained groan as he was forced to support himself on only his battered knees.

"Good," the Condesce purred. "Much better. No scrap a' flesh like  _him_ is allowed to stand in my presence." She leaned forward. "Lift his head up."

His head was forced up as Eridan tugged at his hair. His throat was bared to the Condesce.

Her eyes burned straight through him. She was watching him, scrutinizing every inch of his face, of his body. "Interestin'," she murmured. "So this is the little tidbit that hooked up with the leader of this pesky little rebellion a' theirs?"

Eridan nodded. "This is him, Empress. I've brought him as requested."

"And you're sure he has the information we're lookin' for?"

"Certain."

"Hmm."

The Condesce was still staring at him. He was beginning to feel sick. What was she thinking? What was she going to do? Would she rip him from Eridan's grasp and break him then and there, slicing into him until he revealed everything he hadn't told Rohdan? Would she do something even worse than that? Use him as a bargaining chip? Order Sollux to surrender himself?

"Fins?" the Condesce said finally.

"Yes, Empress?"

"Leave us."

Karkat snapped his eyes up to stare at the Condesce alarm.  _Leave us?_ But if that happened, without Eridan here to try and persuade her to spare his life…

_I wanted to die,_ he reminded himself.  _I thought it would be better than selling Sollux out and being forced to live under her thumb, even if it was a life with Eridan at my side. Maybe_ especially  _if Eridan was at my side._ But now, staring the Condesce in the face and knowing that his only lifeline was about to be sent out of the room, he thought he was beginning to understand what Eridan had told him back on his ship.

_I didn't want to die,_ he'd said wearily, a sad expression creasing his regal features.  _I would have done anythin' not to die._  And Karkat had answered,  _then you're a coward,_ because he'd thought that in his situation he would have gladly surrendered himself to death. But now here he was in Eridan's position, threatened with death, and he was afraid.

"Leave?" Eridan echoed, voice just a bit too sharp, a bit too alarmed. "But Empress, I haven't gotten to explain—!"

"There's nofin that needs explainin', fins. You brought me the guy; that's all I wanted from you."

"But I was going to explain his merits, request that he be kept—"

"Ampora!" the Condesce snapped.

Eridan fell silent. Bowed his head lower. "Right. Apologies, Empress. I didn't mean to question you."

The Condesce glared evenly. "Leave, fins, unless you want me to start callin' you somefin else. Like  _dead._ "

Eridan couldn't hesitate, but it was obvious he wanted to. He released Karkat almost painfully, brushing his fingertips across his neck as a silent apology, and got to his feet. He bowed once, turned, and left without another word. His worry was thick in the air.

Then, just like that, Karkat was alone with the single most deadly troll in the known universe.

He kept his head down. Maybe if he just kept kneeling, kept his eyes trained toward the ground, she wouldn't—

"Karkat Vantas," the Condesce said slowly, letting the name roll off her tongue. She crossed her legs. Leaned forward just slightly, a dangerous smirk on her face. "It's been too long."

_What?_ He lifted his head despite himself and found himself staring into a pair of fuchsia eyes that immediately grabbed onto him and held him hostage.  _What does she mean it's been too long? We've never met!_

"No," she murmured, and he was reminded that she could read minds. Fucking great. "We haven't met. I was quite familiar with your ancestor, though, and you're his spittin' image."

So that was it. She remembered his ancestor, the Signless. She remembered how she'd had him slaughtered.  _Is that what you'll do to me? String me up and make one of my friends shoot me through the chest?_

She laughed. "Is that what you're afraid of, nubs? That I'll have you culled?"

_Yes._

Another laugh, low and dangerous. "Well you can stop your carpin'. I'm not goin' to cull you."

Simultaneously, he relaxed and tensed. If she wasn't going to kill him, then why was he here?

She uncrossed her legs. Crossed them the other way. "Vantas," she said again. "Karkat Vantas. So different from Kankri, aren'tcha? Shorter. Scrawnier. Less… _intelligent."_

He bristled. For a moment he wished he could talk before he remembered that he'd probably just end up getting himself killed. He wasn't a very polite troll, after all.

"So! You got yourself captured. How fascinatin'. I would have imagined that someone who's leadin' the fuckin' rebellion would be more careful, but I'm not complainin'."

_What? Eridan told her that I wasn't even involved in the rebellion, didn't he? I thought he let her know that I was only Sollux's kismesis!_

The Condesce's eyes went sharp. "That so?"

_Shit._ With her powers, there was no way to filter himself. He couldn't help what he thought, after all, and she was just plucking the information out of his brain.  _This is bad. She could learn anything this way. If I start thinking about the trolls we have on the inside of the on-world military, like Arad—_

He bit down on his tongue hard to throw his mind off track. No,  _no—_ his thoughts were dangerous. He couldn't think  _at all._ The Condesce would pluck out any tidbit of information he accidentally let cross his mind.

"Hmm. Maybe not so unintelligent after all." She stood. And  _holy_   _fuck_ , she was  _tall._ She towered over Karkat by a good four feet, looming even with how far away from him she was. Her trident was strapped to her back, and each prong was the length of his entire arm. He'd die instantly if she so much as hit him with a light jab. "Here's how this is goin' ta work," she rumbled. "You're goin' to sit there, immobile. I'm goin' to put you under. And then, while you're helpless to resist it, I'm goin' to wring  _every drop_ of information out of your pathetic little guppy brain."

_Oh god._

"That's right, nubs. The sooner you relax, the sooner we get this over with."

He tried to move, then, as she started stalking closer to him. He was terrified. With every fiber of his being he tried to  _run,_ to  _hide_ , to  _fight_. But his muscles weren't obeying, were locked away from his control by  _something,_ and he chittered in alarm as the ruler of his entire species circled him like a shark. What would she do? How would she get the information out of him? Would it be worse than what Rohdan had done?

"Oh, nubs," she purred, amused. "No need to worry, darlin'. It won't hurt a bit."

_Huh?_

She'd stopped moving right in front of him. From this close she looked even more enormous, features dark and shadowy, and he had to clamp down on the instinctual urge to either flee or prostrate himself at her feet. "Now…let's get this over with."

He had half a second to think before there were hands around his horns. After that, he had half a second to gasp in shock before the subduing biochemicals flooded through him.

Sollux had done this to him once, back when they'd first started hate-dating. It had been a heated night, a fierce argument, and the two of them had their first real fight, hissing and spitting and kicking and struggling to get the upper hand. In the end, Sollux had won when he'd flipped Karkat onto his back and grabbed for his horns, laying him out. They'd pailed, but Karkat had been horn-dazed the whole time, pliable and unable to defend himself. He hadn't spoken to Sollux for a month afterwards. Now it was happening again, and he couldn't retaliate.

"There we go," the Condesce murmured. "You're feelin' a lot more relaxed now, eh? You don't have to fight it."

He opened his mouth, forgetting he was still gagged, and barely choked back a groan. The Condesce wasn't stopping. She kept kneading at his hornbeds, long nails scratching at his scalp, every movement sending him deeper. His eyelids fluttered.

"Hey, keep your eyes open!" she snapped.

_What? Why?_

A moment later, he knew. A hand settled in his hair, the other continuing its work on his right horn, and pulled his head up until he was staring hazily up into her eyes.

_Is it true that the Condesce can completely take control of you if she makes eye contact?_ he'd asked Eridan.  _It's a legend! Everyone passes it around, that if she looks you right in the eye she can order you to do anything and you'll do it._

_That's ridiculous,_ had been the response.  _She's not magic, Kar. She can't do anythin' more than a normal troll could._

He'd believed him. Why had he believed him? He tried to look away, but he was lost.

"Good, guppy, that's good." She drew him up just slightly, maintaining fierce eye contact. His head fogged over completely. "Now…I'm about to ask you a few questions. Will you answer them honestly?"

He nodded robotically.  _No, no! I can't answer them! I can't give you Sollux!_

She hooked a claw around his gag and tore it in two. Immediately he sucked in a harsh, gasping breath. "Tell me the name of your kismesis, love."

"Sollux Captor."  _Fuck! I can't stop it! It's like she's in my head, controlling everything!_

"Can you describe him for me?"

"He's a yellowblood. Four horns, two large, two small. Pale. Red and blue eyes." It hurt to resist it. Every time he tried to lie, to say something other than the truth, a sharp pain started up behind his eyes that wouldn't let him.

"Good, good," she murmured. "You're doin' good. How aboat you tell me how many of you there are?"

"I don't know. I'm not a part of the rebellion. He lied to me about it."

A discontent rumble. "I see. Tell me where the rebellion is based, then, guppy."

For a moment, he struggled. For a moment, he tried to hold his own. But it was inevitable that he would tell her, and it took only a heartbeat for the pain between his eyes to grow so intense that his vision whited out. By the time he came back to himself, he was already speaking. "There are hidden entrances all over the main Alternian city. If you want to find the main hub, there's an entrance exactly fives miles to the north of the military base in an alleyway. You'll be able to find it easily; it's not hidden as well as it should be."

"How do we get in?"

"The door will ask for a password, but there isn't one. Sollux has cameras trained on the entrances, and can open and close them at will when he recognizes the person standing outside. If you want to get in, you'll just have to pry the doors open. He won't let you in otherwise."

_"Very_ interestin'." The Condesce flashed him a mouthful of needlelike teeth. "Is there anyfin else you think I'd find useful?"

"There's a system of tunnels that run beneath the city. I only know about the ones connecting Sollux's house to mine, and mine to Gamzee's, but if Sollux lied to me about the rebellion then I'm sure there are others. It's probably how they're getting around without being seen by the drones."

"Gamzee?" the Condesce echoed. "Who's that, a rebel?"

"My moirail. Gamzee Makara."  _No, fuck, please don't drag him into this._

"Makara…the Grand Highblood's descendant?"

"Yes."

"He has a moirail? And it's  _you?"_

"Yes."

She blinked, but didn't break eye contact. The spell would be broken when she did, he guessed. "That's rather problematic, guppy."

"That's not all," he said mechanically. "There's a rat in the on-world military. Aradia Megido is working with Sollux, and there may be others I don't know about."

"Is that so?"

He nodded.

"Hmm…that's some valuable information you've brought me, nubs."

And that was all he knew. He'd given her everything.  _What will you do with me now?_

"I'd thank you if I thought you would have brought this to me of your own free will. But unfortunately you're just as stubborn as  _he_ was. And we all know what happened to him."

Yes. It hadn't ended well for the Signless, and it wouldn't end well for him, either. Even if he wanted no part in the rebellion.

"I could kill you now," the Condesce whispered. She still hadn't broken eye contact. "I could kill you, slit your throat and let that cherry-red blood spill out all over the floor. But I won't, because I'm not done with you just yet."

_What else could you want?_

"Now…" She returned both hands to his horns and pressed until he was flat on his back, leaving her to loom over him threateningly. She dipped close until their faces were mere inches apart. "I need you to listen to this  _reel_  carefully, nubs. I'm goin' to tell you to do somefin, and you're goin' to do it for me without question. Isn't that right?"

He gave a dull nod.

"Excellent. Now listen to me, candy apple, 'cause I'm aboat to tell you exactly what you're goin' to do for me."

 

* * *

 

 

Eridan paced back and forth just outside the throne room, wearing a hole through the carpet with his worry. Karkat had been alone with the Condesce for over thirty minutes now, and he had no idea what she was doing to him. There hadn't been any screaming, so he knew he wasn't being tortured, but there were worse things she could do. The Condesce would have her information, that much was a given. What she would do after, though… _that_ was the mystery.  _That_ was what had him concerned. Before, when he'd thought he would be in the room to persuade the Condesce that Karkat was valuable enough to keep alive and safe, he'd been at least partially confident in the results of their meeting. Now, though…

He wasn't there to protect Karkat anymore. Whatever happened in that room, he didn't have a hand in it.

Ten minutes later his handheld blinked in signal for him to reenter the room, and his heart nearly leapt out of his chest. He struggled to contain himself as he pushed his way back into the room and just  _prayed_ that Karkat wasn't dead. He scanned the room, frantic, searching, and—

There he was. Slumped to the ground, eyes staring into nothing, chest heaving.  _Alive_.

"Fins!" the Condesce chirped. She was still sitting on her throne, as if she hadn't even had to get up to reduce Karkat to a pathetic wreck. "Welcome back."

He approached Karkat, forcing himself not to look too closely. He couldn't appear attached. "Empress," he greeted. "Did you get the information?"  _Deep breaths, Ampora. Put on your best indifferent mask._

"That and more," was the cheery response. "I've learned  _quite_ a bit of information, fins! I'll be delighted to share it with you, but I think we've got somefin to deal with first." She glanced at Karkat meaningfully.

Finally, Eridan let himself really look. Karkat was still slouched there, half lying against the ground, eyes glazed. He was panting, and there was a shine to his cheeks that told him he'd been horn-dazed.

_She touched him. She touched his horns._

"We'll be keepin' him alive, I assume?" he asked carefully. "He's a valuable bargainin' chip, after all."

"Why  _Eridan,_ you almost sound like you care!"

"No, I—"

"It's okay," she smirked. "He's a rather pretty thing, don't you think? You're free to keep him if you wish."

"…What, really?"

"You heard me," she purred. "I can't kill him; I need him as a tool against the rebellion."

Relief flooded through him. She wasn't going to kill him. She was going to let Karkat live. "What are you plannin' on doin' with him? Askin' their leader to give himself up?"

"You'll see, fins. Just wait around a bit and it'll all fall into place."

He barely hid an unnerved shudder. "Okay. Should I take Kar—I mean, the prisoner—back to my quarters, then? I can keep him there until you decide what to do."

She tilted her head. Her eyes were gleaming dangerously. "Hang on there, Vice Admiral. Are you forgettin' proper protocol for prisoners a' war?"

_No. Surely she won't make me…_

"Send the kid down to the handlers. They'll break 'im in and train 'im, then give the kid back to you once he's been made proper."

_No. God no._

"I'll send the handlers a message for you," she went on, oblivious to his cold horror. "Let 'em know he's comin', warn 'em not to hurt 'im too bad. We need the kid alive, after all. Wouldn't do to have 'im die before he's trained."

_Calm. I'm calm._ He really wasn't, though, and that was the problem. He wouldn't let himself look at Karkat again. "Empress, don't you think that's a bit risky? If he's hurt too badly you won't be able to use him as leverage anymore. It seems like sendin' him to the handlers will only be takin' unnecessary risks, especially if you're not plannin' on keepin' him here forever."

"Who said I wasn't plannin' on keepin' 'im here forever?"

His blood ran cold. "I thought you were gonna return him to Captor once you had what you wanted." Did he really think that, though? Was that really something he'd ever considered as a possibility?

"He's not gettin' back to Alternia, fins. He'll be here for as long as he lives."

There it was. Plain and simple, thrown right at him without any punches drawn. Karkat was never going home. That fate he'd described, the one where he ended up aboard the flagship as a slave, was coming true.

"Take 'im to the handlers," the Condesce ordered.

Stiffly, hesitantly, he went to pick Karkat up off the ground. He hoped his anger wasn't showing in the way he moved.

"Fins, wait."

He froze.

"Look me in the eyes."

He did. His mind fogged over.

"Tell me…do you pity 'im?"

His answer was automatic, beyond his control. Even if he'd wanted to lie, he couldn't have. "Yes."

"Would you do anyfin for 'im?"

"Yes."

_"Betray_ me for 'im?"

"…Yes. I would."

"I see." Her expression was dark, unreadable. "Forget the last minute and take the guppy to the handlers like I ordered."

His mind was wiped clean. What had happened in the last minute, anyways? He couldn't remember a thing. "I'll take my leave now, Empress."

She nodded. "Serve me well, Vice Admiral. Serve me with all your being."


	18. Cobalt Thief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, it's Saturday! What is wrong with me this week??? I totally lost track of time, so I'm sorry this isn't quite as polished as I'd like it to be! In any case, things are going to get very intense next chapter (it revolves around Karkat trying to get by in the lower levels so you can imagine how well that's going to go), so maybe it's good to have a little downtime before the chaos? You be the judge, I suppose!
> 
> The last chapter of my short story is up, so click [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14311668/chapters/33401253) if you're interested.
> 
> This week's chapter is [Cobalt Thief](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44un1ADquPA)

"Kar?" Eridan whispered, cradling the redblood gently to his chest. "Kar, are you okay? Can you hear me?"

No response. Karkat just stared, eyes locked blankly on the ceiling, entire body limp and pliable. He was conscious, that much was obvious, but he wasn't responding or moving, and his breathing was harsh and shallow. He'd clearly been put under rather deeply.

_Surely the Condesce isn't expecting me to give him to the handlers while he's like this. He won't be able to defend himself if they…_

He shuddered. He  _really_ didn't want to think about that. But…he'd been ordered to do it. He'd been ordered to leave Karkat in the lower levels, leave him to the officers that dealt with all incoming lowbloods. He  _knew_ what happened to those trolls. He knew, and he'd promised Karkat that it wouldn't happen to him. He'd  _promised_  that he'd protect him.

_You were given an order,_ something whispered in the back of his mind.  _The Condesce has commanded it, and so it must be done. You will give Karkat to the handlers and await his return._

But…could he really make himself do it? Could he make himself give Karkat over, knowing what would happen if he did? Just the thought of it was making him clamp down harder on Karkat's limp form, drawing him suffocatingly close. The idea of giving him up…

_The Condesce will kill me if I refuse, and then Kar will be sent there anyway. I have to keep myself alive if I want to help him. Which means…I'll have to obey. I'll have to take him to the lower levels. But maybe, just maybe, there's something I can do to soften the blow. Make sure nothing truly vile happens to him._

At the very least, he could give Karkat a while to come out of his daze. He'd wait for him to be a little more coherent, then—

His handheld buzzed. He snapped it up off his belt, glanced down at it, and immediately hissed in frustration. The message read,  _make sure nubs is with the handlers in the next thirty minutes, fins, 'cause I want ta brief you on what the plan is to deal with the rebellion._

There went  _that_ option. If he wanted to be back in the throne room in thirty minutes, he'd have to take Karkat to the lower levels immediately.  _Fuck. What do I do? If I disobey, the Condesce will find out and kill me for it. If I obey, I'm betrayin' Karkat for a second time in the worst possible way. I'll speak with the handlers in an attempt to make sure he's safe, but there's only so much I can do. He'll never forgive me for this._

Slowly, stiffly, he slid one arm beneath Karkat's shoulders and another under his legs. Then he lifted, wincing at how light the other troll felt, and carried him through the door. He'd stopped to assess Karkat's condition in the hallway just outside the Condesce's throne room, so he still had to weave his way through the heart of the ship before he could reach the lift that would take him to the lower levels.

"Kar?" he tried every few minutes as they traveled. "Can you hear me yet?" But it wasn't until they were in the lift that the troll finally made a little noise in response.

_Not much time to explain. He has no idea what's happening._

"Kar, I need you to listen to me. Do you understand?"

The lift screeched for the lower levels. Once the doors opened, it would be over. Karkat blinked at him, confused.

"Kar, please! You need to hear this!"

Another slow, distant blink. "Eri…dan…?"

"Yeah," he said, relieved. The glowing numbers on the panel grew lower and lower. "How much do you remember?"

"Not…much?" was the grating response. "The Condesce…she said I was…going somewhere?"

Oh,  _fuck._ He was so pitiful like this; how was he expected to betray him? "You're goin' to the lower levels," he forced out, voice low and just slightly rasping with the force of his conflict. "Where they…where they train the slaves."

His eyes widened. "What?"

At least he was more awake now, Eridan thought halfheartedly. "It's okay," he soothed. It really wasn't, though, and he knew it. "The Condesce ordered me to leave you here for just a little while, but I  _promise_ I'm gonna make sure no one touches you. I'm gonna talk to the commander down here, just you wait. You'll only be here for a few days, then I'll be able to get you out."

Panic flooded Karkat's features. Claws dug into the backs of Eridan's shoulders. "Eridan,  _no,_ I'm…I'm a  _mutant!_  What will happen when—?" He trailed off with a low, pained keen. His head must have been hurting. Being horn-dazed could do that to a guy, Eridan had found.

"No one will find out," Eridan soothed, though he knew the opposite was true. "Even if they do, the Condesce has ordered the handlers not to kill you. And once I talk to them, they'll be ordered not to  _touch_ you either. It'll be okay."

"You're…just going to leave me?" The look in his eyes was nothing short of heartbreaking. "Again? You're going to leave me alone and just…what? Wait for them to fucking  _break_  me?"

"They won't break you," he insisted, even though he wasn't so sure. "I'll make sure they don't; you just have to trust me!"

"Trust you? After all this? Eridan, I thought…"

He never found out what Karkat thought, though, because that's when the lift dinged and the doors slid open, and talking became a liability that Eridan' couldn't afford. All he could do was murmur, "Just keep your head down and do exactly as they say, and you'll be fine. I'll come for you soon."

He knew it wasn't much of a comfort. Karkat fixed him with a horrible, heartbroken stare that he had to look away from before he broke entirely and did something foolish.

"Vice Admiral!" greeted a troll that, thankfully, Eridan had only had to deal with personally a few times. The slavery institution aboard the ship sickened him, quite frankly, so he was glad to have spoken to its commander as little as possible. "The Condesce contacted me and let me know you'd be coming down! Got some fresh meat for us, eh?"

He had to swallow hard before he spoke. "Hardly  _meat,_ Commander Halbir. He's a valuable bargainin' chip for the Empire, so if anythin' happens to him you're fuckin' dead. Understand?"

"Yes sir," the Commander said, saluting him with a cocky little grin on his face. He was an indigo, only one shade below Eridan himself, which had made him arrogant over the years. He was one of the only indigos whose moirail wasn't constantly on hand. No, the Condesce  _wanted_ him to be violent,  _explosive_ , to handle the slaves that thought they had a chance at escape. She wanted them beat down. "I'll break him in real good."

"No, you  _won't,"_ Eridan snapped. "I'm sure the Empress already informed you that he was valuable as shit, so you're not gonna lay a hand on him!"

The Commander frowned. "But it's common protocol to—"

"I don't give a fuck about your protocol," he snarled. "He's lined up to be my  _personal_ slave, and  _I_ want the honor of breakin' him in. So if you so much as lay a finger on him, I'll have your head. I think you'll find him rather well behaved, so there won't be a reason to hurt him."

Indigo eyes narrowed in his direction. "How am I expected to train a slave I can't touch? How is he supposed to learn respect? Subservience?"

_"I'm_ goin' to teach him that. Your job is to run him through your bullshit routines to teach etiquette and the like,  _not_ to treat him like the rest of your cattle. Am I bein' clear?"

A beat, a moment of silence. Then, " _Oh_ …" The Commander smirked. "You're being  _very_ clear, Vice Admiral. I'll be sure to treat him well."

Suspicion flashed through him. "See that you do."

The Commander stepped back and gestured further into the lower levels. It was lined with cells for incoming slaves, and further on Eridan knew there were countless rooms meant to break them down before being sent to live aboard the ship full time. "Pick a cell and leave him there, then. We just got a new batch in from the homeworld, so we'll be starting up training tomorrow morning. I'll send for you the instant he's presentable."

He nodded. Pushed past the Commander with slow, even footsteps. The cells were all the same, dingy and cold, and he choked back a tiny noise of discontent as he considered leaving Karkat here even for a moment. But he had to do it. He had to leave him here, and he had to pray that his warning to the Commander would be enough to keep Karkat safe.

_I have no choice,_ he told himself again.  _I'll leave him here and retrieve him as soon as possible._

He opened the door to a cell and lowered Karkat onto the cot. "You'll be safe," he whispered, certain that the Commander couldn't see inside or hear what was happening. "I'll be back for you."

Karkat just stared helplessly. Said nothing.

Eridan drew back. Then, clamping down on the guilt in his heart, he turned and fled the lower levels, leaving the troll he loved behind.

 

* * *

 

Eridan ducked into his room on the way back up to meet the Condesce. He wanted to change his clothes and replace some of his rings before he went back to the throne room, and he still had about ten minutes before he was expected to go there. Just enough time to get a few things done.

Or so he thought, until he opened the door and was faced with a familiar person leaning against the far wall, arms crossed, eyes piercing straight through to his soul.

"So."

He blinked. "Vris? What're you doin' here? Shouldn't you be back on your own ship by now?"

"I had unfinished business. Namely,  _you_."

Eridan closed the door behind him. "What's that supposed to mean? And would you hurry it up? I have to meet the Condesce in ten minutes."

"This is more important, I think." Vriska pushed herself up off the wall. "Care to tell me just what you've done to Karkat?"

"I…" He gulped. How had Vriska known that something had happened? How had she figured it out? "I sent him to the handlers. The Condesce ordered me."

Vriska's eyes flashed. "You sent him to that scumbag down there? The Commander?"

"I had no choice!" he said defensively. "She ordered me—!"

"She ordered you to betray a friend, and you did it."

"…Yes. I did."

"Care to explain why?"

"Really, Vris? You need me to explain somethin' like that to you? You're just as loyal as I am; you know that I had to obey the Condesce!"

She just shook her head. "You know what's going to happen to him."

"I specifically ordered the Commander not to lay a hand on him, thank you very much! I'm not  _that_  much of a scumbag!"

"And you really think he'll obey?"

"I'm the fuckin' Vice Admiral!" he snapped. "Of course he'll listen!"

"Oh, I'm sure he  _listened,"_ Vriska bit out. "That wasn't what I asked. I asked if you thought he'd  _obey._ Because as long as you're not down there, how are you going to know what he does to his new recruits?"

"Kar would  _tell_ me if—"

"What? If he were raped?"

A soft, low groan rumbled through him. "Don't say that word."

"You need to hear it. The whole time I've know you you've been skirting around that word, that concept, as if it's not something that happens on this godforsaken ship! It  _happens,_ Eridan, happens to all of the slaves, happens every day, and you've just dropped Karkat into the hands of people that  _train_ them not to fight back! What the fuck do you think that training entails?"

"I…" He trailed off helplessly. "I ordered the Commander not to touch him."

"And as long as you're not there, he can do whatever the hell he wants. He'll  _train_ Karkat to not fight back, to keep quiet whenever some random dirtbag highblood wants to use him, and you'll  _never know_  because he will have been conditioned  _not to tell you."_

_No. It's not true. I've protected him!_

"You haven't," Vriska spat, and he realized he'd spoken aloud. "Didn't you used to pity him?"

"I still pity him!"

She scoffed. "Yeah? Well you're not acting like it."

"And what exactly would  _you_  do, if it was someone  _you_ pitied?" he demanded, growing more and more heated with every passing moment. Vriska had no idea what she was talking about. He  _did_ pity Karkat,  _did_ love him! "What if the Condesce ordered you to take someone you pitied down to the handlers, and you knew you'd die if you refused and then that person you'd betrayed would just be sent there anyway?"

Her eyes narrowed to slits. "If Terezi were the one being sent to the handlers, I wouldn't let it happen."

He froze. "Are you admittin' disloyalty?"

"I'm admitting that there are more important things than servitude to the Empire!"

His mouth dropped open. "But…you've always seemed so  _loyal._ So  _devoted._ Are you tellin' me that you're a traitor?"

"I  _am_  loyal and devoted," Vriska said simply. "To  _Terezi._ To her, and to anyone else that blunders their way into my quadrants! In my mind, the Condesce will always come second. I'm surprised it isn't the same for you."

"She's the ruler of our entire species," he tried. "Nothing is more important than serving her."

"Is that so? Then I suppose you won't mind when Karkat is returned to you an empty shell."

"That's not—!"

"Or when the Condesce decides you're not allowed to keep him, and throws him into the heart of the ship to fend for himself amidst the other slaves. Don't worry, though, Eridan! He's a rarity with that blood color, so I'm sure he'll get  _plenty_ of attention."

He recoiled, horrified. "The Condesce said he was mine to keep. That won't happen."

"Oh, but what if it does? What if she orders you to give him up? What if she orders you to  _kill_  him? Would you do it?"

"I…" He grabbed at his head. "I don't—Vris,  _stop!"_

"I can't stop, you idiot! If you let this happen, you'll hate yourself forever—and that's a  _promise._  You've been fucking  _forcing_ Karkat to rely on you, practically thrusting Stockholm Syndrome upon his shoulders because you're the  _only_ person that stands between him and imminent death, and that's  _not_ pity. That's  _dependence._ If you pitied him, like I pity Terezi, you wouldn't be standing by and letting this happen. You'd fight back, like the stubborn motherfucker I  _know_ you are, and you'd find a way to get him out of here."

"That would be betraying the Empress."

"Yeah? So what? Like I said, there are more important things."

"And what if I did get him out? What would happen then? The Condesce would kill me."

"That's why you're going to go with him."

He laughed, then, throwing his head back. "Me, go back to Alternia? And what?"

"I think you know."

Eridan paused. Stared in shock. Then, "Are you suggestin' that I…?"

"Go to Sollux, Eridan. Take Karkat back to him."

"Vris, do you realize what you're tellin' me to do? I'm the Vice Admiral of this ship, bound to report all signs of disloyalty, and what you've just said is—!"

"This is off the record," she said smoothly. "As a soldier, as a captain, I would tell you to leave Karkat to the handlers and throw yourself into the Empress's service. But do you want to know something fascinating? Before I was a captain, I was a troll. The captain bit was just a mask I threw on, a role I decided to play. And the troll part of me—the  _real_ part—is telling me to punch you in the face and go save Karkat myself."

"Why…?" He hesitated, shaking his head in confusion. "Why do you care? Everyone knows you're the spider bitch. You don't give a shit about anyone but yourself, and maybe Ter."

"Spider bitch, huh?" she snorted. "Fine. Maybe they're right. But this right here? This is more important than my apparent dedication to being an asshole. This is me looking you in the face as someone who  _used_ to consider you something of a friend, and telling you that if you let this happen, you  _will_ hate yourself forever. This is me trying to make you understand that right now you're acting like an idiot, convincing yourself that you're helping Karkat when really you're the one causing all of his pain."

"I didn't—!"

"If you'd let him go back on Alternia, he wouldn't be here. He wouldn't be with the handlers. The Condesce may have ordered him here, Eridan, but  _you're_ the one who followed that order. You can't pass this off on her anymore than I can pass off what I did to Tavros as anyone's fault but mine."

"Vris," he choked, but was unable to continue. What would he say?

Her gaze softened just a little. "Look," she murmured. "This is your decision, Eridan. I can't make it for you. But if you value Karkat's life at  _all, even_ a little, then you won't let this happen. You'll go back down to the handlers, take him back, and flee to Alternia on your ship. You'll give Karkat back to his quadrants, and if they're willing to forgive you for what you did, then you'll join them. You'll announce to the whole world that you're turning your back on the Condesce—and if the fucking  _Vice Admiral_ decides to fight for the other side, the rebellion will grow in droves overnight. You can fight, and maybe this time we can  _win_."

"This time?" he echoed. "What do you mean  _this time?"_

She paused. "I…I've been having dreams. About our ancestors. Haven't you?"

"What? No, of course not!" Ancestors? He hadn't thought about those guys in sweeps! What was she going on about?

"Oh…" She looked away, a slight tinge to her cheeks. "Forget I said anything, then. And please,  _please,_ think about what's going to happen if you decide to leave Karkat with those monsters. Think about what will happen if you swear your full and complete loyalty to the Condesce. Think about what will happen if you take Karkat and run, before anyone realizes what's happening. Think about what will happen if you lose Karkat forever, and are left to serve the Empress for the rest of your life. Just…think for yourself."

His handheld was buzzing softly at his waist. The Condesce, probably, wanting to know where he was. He ignored it. "I should turn you in for saying any of this," he rasped, rattled. "You could be killed."

"You should do whatever you think is right," she said, and it was such a strange thing for her to say that he nearly started poking at her to make sure she wasn't a robot. This whole  _conversation_ was strange. Vriska had never mentioned anything about sympathizing with the rebellion before. "Just be careful with this, Eridan. Something is telling me that this war is riding on what happens here and now."

"…What?"

For a moment, she just gazed at him calmly. But then she blinked, shaking her head as if emerging from a daze, and the trance was broken. She cleared her throat. "See you around, fins. Just…make the right choice. Don't do what Dualscar did."

He opened his mouth, then, set on calling out and asking what she meant by that, but by the time he could start to form the first syllable she was gone, slipping from between his fingers and vanishing into the hallways beyond.

 

* * *

 

"Fins!" the Condesce snapped the instant he walked into the room, fifteen minutes late and slightly dazed from his conversation with Vriska. "Where have you been?"

He bowed low. He could feel the eyes of the other commanding officers on him. Rohdan's gaze was nearly scorching in its intensity. "Apologies, Empress. There were some issues with getting the prisoner to the lower levels."

She snorted. "Well, you took care of it, right?"

"Yes, Empress. He's with the Commander."

"Good. Now sit down, and we'll begin!"

He scrambled to his seat. The Condesce was holding the meeting in the area just off of her throne room, where there was a long table set out for exactly this purpose. She sat at its head, with her other commanding officers spread out on either side. Eridan took his place at the opposite end.

"Now that we're all here," the Condesce said, shooting Eridan an exasperated look, "we can begin. As I mentioned in the memo, we're aboat to discuss what exactly we're goin' to do about the rebel problem back home."

There were troubled murmurs from all around. Clearly the rebels were becoming more and more of an issue.

"Quiet!" the Condesce hissed. "Shut your damn traps, and I'll tell you exactly what the plan is! We still have leverage over these asshoals, seein' as we have their leader's kismesis, so our plan is as follows: we send the rebels a transmission and order their leader to surrender himself in exchange for his quadrantmate's life."

Eridan started. Did the Condesce really think that Sollux would give up the rebellion in exchange for Karkat? Surely she knew that was a fool's errand.

"Do you really think that's going to work?" came a question from one of the trolls at the table. "Surely the leader of the rebellion wouldn't just wreck his whole operation by giving himself up."

"You'd be surprised by what young fools will do for love," the Condesce said simply. "I am confident that Captor will surrender himself without hesitation once he fully understands what is being done to his kismesis aboard this ship."

Trepidation flashed through him. What was  _that_ supposed to mean? Karkat was going to be  _his._ He was going to keep him  _safe._

"And what after that?" someone else asked. "After their leader surrenders himself—assuming that he actually does—what then?"

"We swoop in and wipe them out while they're struggling for new leadership. Simple. They'll be reelin' from the loss of their leader, confused and indifferent that he would give himself up, and while they're attemptin' to regain their footing we will come down and demolish them. And while we're at it, I will slaughter my dancestor as I should have done long ago."

_Fef, no…_

"That should take care of any potential rebellions for the next thousand sweeps or so," the Condesce continued. "Vice Admiral, I want you to work on establishin' a connection with the homeworld and lettin' 'em know that there's a message I want ta send out to the whole population."

Eridan nodded quickly. "Yes, Empress."

One of the trolls shifted. "Wait," she said, "won't we just be giving the rebellion publicity in contacting them by speaking to the entire populous? You got the location of their base from our newest prisoner, right? Why not just leave a message at their front door?"

The Condesce smirked. "If I leave a message on their doorstep, their leader might hide it from them and just give himself up quietly. I want this to be a fuckin'  _spectacle._ I want  _everyone_ to see how he cracks and breaks, throwin' himself at our feet, and that'll only happen if we make sure  _every_ rebel sees the message. That is, unless you think there's a problem _,_ Sargent."

The troll ducked her head. "No, Empress, of course not!"

"Good. In that case, we're done here. I'm orderin' all of you to keep your ships at the ready. We're not goin' in to conquer another system until this is dealt with, which means that the lot of you are free to do whatever you want while the Vice Admiral and I deal with contactin' the rebels. Understood?"

Everyone nodded.

"Then you're excused." She paused. "Ah, actually, one more thing. Fins?"

"Yes?" Eridan asked immediately. "What is it, Empress?"

"I'm just goin' ta give this lot a rundown of what you and I already know about the rebellion, so you should go start dealin' with contactin' the homeworld. You're dismissed."

"Of course," he said. He could handle contacting the homeworld and setting up a time to send out the broadcast. That was something he could do, something that would take his mind off of what Vriska had said and what was probably happening to Karkat. He could handle it. He  _could_.

He got to his feet. The others were watching him, waiting for him to leave, and he gladly took his leave of them. There were things to think about, and things to be done.

 

* * *

 

The door closed. Eridan was gone.

"Empress?" asked that same female troll, brows raised. "We already know everything you do about the rebellion."

"Yes," Rohdan drawled, "there's really nothing else to tell us. Why did you send our dear Vice Admiral out of the room?"

The Condesce sat back in her chair, crossing her legs neatly. Leaned her head on one hand.

"Is something wrong?" someone else asked.

A pause. Then, "Actually, there's somefin that the lot 'a you shoald know."

A knowing look flickered across Rohdan's face, and he asked, "What is it?"

"I," the Condesce said slowly, haltingly, almost painfully, "am aboat to be betrayed by my own Vice Admiral."

The room filled with sharp gasps. "That's impossible!" someone insisted, just as someone else snapped, "I knew it!" and Rohdan snarked, "It's about time you noticed."

"Quiet!" she bit out furiously. "Save your questions for later. The Vice Admiral is goin' to betray me, there's no question a' that."

"We should kill him then," Rohdan suggested coldly. "Before he has the chance to do any serious damage."

The Condesce shook her head. Smirked. "No, we shouldn't."

"But Empress—!"

"You will fuckin'  _listen_ to me, you load a' barnacles!

Silence.

"Now," the Condesce growled irritably, leaning forward and fixing each and every one of them with an intense stare. "The Vice Admiral will turn against us sooner than later, but we're goin' to use it to our advantage."

"How are we going to do that, exactly?"

A smirk. "Listen up, guppies, because I'm aboat to tell you the  _real_ plan."


	19. While Everything Burns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eridan questions his life choices as Karkat comes face to face with the seedy underbelly of the Imperial Flagship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I...I saw Infinity War a few hours and...oh god...what have they done...
> 
> In similarly troubling news, this is the chapter where the noncon tags really start to kick in. Be warned that these next two chapters have some pretty vivid descriptions of sexual slavery, and it's terrible and disgusting. Good luck with that, my dudes.
> 
> This week's (very disturbing) chapter is[While Everything Burns](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb8pZ935Oms) by Fabrizio Paterlini.

_Thud. Thud. Thud._

Eridan stared blandly as the knives struck home, burying themselves into the spongy board he'd pinned to his bedroom wall for exactly this purpose. He'd never been good with throwing knives. No matter how hard he tried, the points never got anywhere near the center of the board, and half his attempts ended with tiny gouges in his floor as the handles bounced right off the wall and fell straight down.

Three more knives. He picked one up, threw it, watched as it clanked into one of the others that had actually managed to stick into the board and clattered to the ground. Threw another, cringed as it shrieked against the wall. Another, which just barely stuck in the outer ring of the board.

He'd been dismissed for the day, after heading up to communications and making sure they were ready to establish a connection with homeworld the instant the Condesce decided she wanted to send the message, and he'd decided to spend his time by coming right back up to his room and waiting around in hopes that the Commander would send him a message and let him know that it was okay to snap Karkat back up. The training  _should_ have been relatively quick and painless, seeing as Eridan had ordered the Commander to keep his hands to himself and just run him through basic etiquette drills (none of which involved anything more than  _talking)_ , so he was expecting a call at any time.

…Any time now.

For the hundredth time, he glanced over at the clock. It had been five minutes since he'd last looked, but every minute felt like an hour. Where was Karkat? Was he almost allowed to leave the lower levels? Every passing second made him more and more jumpy.

He…was having a hard time. Vriska's words from earlier that day wouldn't stop cycling through his head over and over on an endless loop, and he was having difficulties concentrating on anything else.  _Kar will be safe,_ he kept trying to tell himself.  _I made sure he's safe. Vriska is wrong. If anything happened, Kar would tell me and I'd take care of it._

Would he, though? Would Karkat tell him anything, or would his conditioning get in the way?

_What other option is there, though? Am I just supposed to charge in and rescue him, even though the Condesce ordered me to leave him there until he was trained? That would be betraying her. I'm the Vice Admiral; I can't just turn my back on the Empire! Nearly four sweeps of service…I don't even know what to do without the Condesce telling me how to act, what to do! I don't want to betray her, but…what about Kar? How bad is this going to get? How long until I can't protect him?_

_There are more important things,_ Vriska had said,  _than the Empire._

Right, more important things. Like what, love? Was he really expected to believe that  _love_ was more important than his obligation to the Condesce?

…Well, actually…

But again, what was he supposed to do even  _if_ he decided he wanted to rescue Karkat from the lower levels? Was he supposed to follow Vriska's suggestion and just  _leave?_ Leave behind everything he'd built for himself in the past three sweeps? Leave his post as Vice Admiral to  _what_ , join a rebellion with no hope of winning?

_They won't have no hope of winning if you speak out against the Condesce. If you, the Vice Admiral, tell Alternia that her being in power is a mistake. If you take away the Empire's leverage by sending Karkat home._

Vriska was right about that, at least. If he betrayed the Empress, the rebellion would have a chance.

_What the fuck am I thinking? Am I actually considering betraying the person I've sworn to serve?_

Back at the beginning, when Karkat had begged for Eridan to join him and escape to join the rebellion, Eridan had refused him.  _I don't fight battles I know I can't win,_ he'd said. And at the time, defeating the Condesce had been a battle that he didn't want to fight, had no reason to fight, and that the rebellion had no hope of winning. But if he delivered Karkat back to the rebels and turned on the Empress, then suddenly that battle wasn't one that was impossible to win. Likely, no. Possible?

Well. That was the terrifying part.

What would happen if he kept Karkat here? He would never be allowed to return home, no matter what the Condesce had suggested. He would be kept aboard the flagship forever, and if Sollux did indeed relinquish himself to them, then he would be thrust into the same situation soon enough. Karkat would indefinitely remain a slave aboard the ship, and there was no way Eridan could watch him forever or at every moment. Eventually he would slip up, go away on a mission, and Karkat would have to fend for himself. And the instant that happened—maybe even sooner—Karkat would hate him forever. Maybe, he thought, Karkat would choose death over such a fate. But if he really wanted to save him, then he would have to betray the Condesce. He…had been a fool to ever think he could accomplish serving both Karkat and the Condesce. Vriska had made him see that, at least. He could keep Karkat safe for a time, but eventually something would happen that he couldn't reverse.

In the end, he would be offered the same choice he'd made all those years ago. Serve the Condesce, or save Karkat.

And he wasn't sure which path to take.

 

* * *

 

When Karkat's head finally cleared and he returned to the waking world, the first thing he felt was horror. It settled low in his stomach, seeping into every inch of his body as he realized that Eridan, the person he'd finally begun to forgive at least a  _little,_ the person he'd almost been convinced would actually help him, had dumped him in the lower levels like the piece of lowblood filth the Empire thought he was. He'd been left alone again.

And what was worse, he'd been abandoned in the lower levels of the flagship. Where they trained the slaves. Where they were supposed to train  _him._

Slowly, he pushed himself up and took in his surroundings. He recalled a little about what had happened after the Condesce had grabbed his horns, but how he'd gotten here was still a little fuzzy. He thought he remembered Eridan reassuring him that he would only be down in the lower levels for a few days, remembered being held, remembered Eridan ordering the Commander not to touch him under any circumstances, but after that it all faded out. He supposed that he'd been dragged into one of the cells after that, because that's where he was now. He was stretched out over a cot, no recuperacoon in sight, in a cell so small that he barely had room to stand up and move around.

So, this was where the slaves were kept. It was hardly a livable situation, but then again, that had been demonstrated to him during the party. He shouldn't have been surprised.

He heard a door open somewhere down the hall, then the sound of yelling. The Commander's voice echoed, but he couldn't hear the words.  _That's right…didn't I hear him say something about a new batch of slaves? He said that training was supposed to begin tomorrow morning, which I guess is now, so…he must be coming to get us all out of our cells._

He bit back a tiny, terrified whimper as he heard the Commander growing closer. He knew that Eridan had ordered the troll to keep his hands off of him, but that wasn't exactly making him feel better. Eridan wasn't here now. They could do anything to him. Kill him, even, if they were willing to risk the wrath of the Condesce. He could only hope that they weren't.

Someone rattled the bars. Not the commander. A guard. "Get up!" the troll snapped at him through the bars. "Training starts now, lowblood filth!"

Eridan's voice echoed in his head.  _Just keep your head down and do whatever they say, and they'll have no reason to punish you. You'll be safe, and I'll come for you as soon as I can._

He scrambled to his feet. If there was any hope of him getting out of this unscathed, he would have to do exactly what they wanted. He'd have to prove he was  _obedient._

The guard snorted at his seeming eagerness to obey, popping open the cell door and yanking him out by the hair. "This way," he mocked.

Karkat tried not to look around as he was dragged along. He could hear more guards grabbing more lowbloods out of their cells and hauling them into the hall, could hear brutal taunts and answering screeches of rage, but he did his best to drown them out. He had to stay focused. He couldn't let them get to him.

They didn't travel far. The guard pulled him just down the hall, then the walls gave way to reveal a large, open space where he was thrown at the end of a lineup of five other trolls. Three rust, two brown. None higher than that. He wondered where they'd come from, how they'd gotten here. If they would live to see the next few days.

"This is the lot of 'em?" The Commander asked, eyeing them all viciously. He was an indigo, which just made Karkat more concerned. He knew how temperamental they could be.

"Yes sir!" was the snarky response from one of the guards. "Normal formation, I assume?"

The Commander smirked. "Same as always."

Karkat watched them file into the room. Six trolls, six guards, one Commander. They were the highest of the high, no doubt an attempt to inspire fear in their victims. It was working. The instant they stopped moving Karkat jerked his head down and tried to stare at his feet.  _Subservience,_ he thought.  _Act weak. Act obedient. Don't fight back or they'll keep you here longer._

"So, then!" the Commander barked. "Allow me to be the first to  _thoroughly_ welcome you to the Imperial Flagship! I'm Commander Halbir, and it will be my pleasure to break each and every single one of you down to a quivering mess before you're sent off to join the rest of the  _lovely_ slaves I've trained." He paced closer, going up and down the line, and Karkat carefully kept his gaze lowered. He didn't want to draw attention to himself.

"I'm going to assume that you lot know what kind of a situation you've gotten yourselves into," the troll continued. "You're here to serve the crew of the flagship in whatever way they wish." He stopped in front of Karkat. Eyed him intensely. " _Some_ of you may think that you're strong enough to fight this and come out intact on the other side. Well, I am here to tell you that you're  _wrong._ Fight all you want. In fact, I  _encourage_ you to fight. But in the end, we will take you and break you down and rip your soul out, and you will learn to  _beg_ for it."

Karkat flinched. Luckily, the Commander seemed to find it amusing. He just turned and moved on, glaring at the next troll instead, and his muscles relaxed the instant he was no longer being glowered at.

"Now…before we can determine what level of training to start all of you at, we have to determine just how willing you are to listen to reason. How about a test?"

Well there was his tension again, flooding back into him. What kind of a test would someone as twisted as the Commander administer? Something horrifying? Something degrading? Something impossible? His mind filled with sinister possibilities. In the end, though, their test was a single word.

"Kneel."

Relief washed through him. Okay. This was good. He could handle this. Without hesitation, he dropped to his knees. No one else followed suit. He could feel the eyes of the other slaves on him, some horrified, some confused, some a mixture of the two. He could practically  _hear_ their thoughts.  _Why did you give in? Why didn't you fight? What are you doing?_ But they hadn't seen what he'd seen. They didn't know what would happen to them if they didn't obey.

The Commander raised a brow. "Just one?" Slowly, he stalked over to Karkat. "Well, the Vice Admiral  _did_  say you were well trained. We'll see how truthful that was soon enough." Then he was moving on, turning his attention on the five trolls that had remained standing. "Now you _—you_ lot are the ones that need to open your eyes. One of two things will happen right here, right now. Either you'll kneel, or I'll make you regret ever being hatched. And I  _assure_ you, whatever you think is going to happen to you, it'll be a  _thousand_ times worse. I'll make your  _ancestors_ regret the day they decided to reproduce, because your screams will reach even  _them._  So, what do you say? Are you going to kneel, or are you going to suffer?"

For a long moment, there was silence. Then, slowly, two more of the slaves dropped to their knees.

The Commander gave an amused hum, a strange little smirk dancing across his features. "I see." He gestured to the three that had remained standing. "Take these three off for processing. Use them how you wish, and we'll see how obedient they are when you're through."

Immediately, three of the guards stepped forward. There were wolfish grins on their faces as each of them grabbed one of the standing trolls and hauled them off. Karkat wished he didn't know what was going to happen to them.

And then there were three. The Commander turned back to them and offered a small, disingenuous smile, saying, "You three are the smart ones. We'll see how long that intelligence lasts." He flicked his wrist at one of the guards. "The uniforms, please."

_Uniforms._ He remembered the uniforms. Was he going to have to…?

A uniform landed at his feet. He flinched. Their next test was administered in a single word, much like the first. "Change."

He gulped, staring down at the thing, cringing as he spotted the skimpy scraps of cloth.  _I have to do this,_ he reminded himself.  _I have to do whatever they say, that way they'll let me go back to Eridan and be safe. Maybe if I do well enough here, in this first trial, then they won't make me go through any other training. Maybe I can get through this here and now._

"Well?" the Commander snapped, and Karkat jumped as he realized he'd been stalling. Luckily, the others were just as reluctant.

_Don't think of them. Just get it over with._ He unlocked his muscles, stiff and slow moving, and forced himself to reach for the shirt. He held the thing up and looked at it as closely as he dared. It was hardly a shirt, unfortunately, a sleeveless thing that cut off just below the ribcage to expose the stomach. He swallowed hard and tucked it between his legs while he reached for his own shirt and stripped it off.

"Average response time," was the unimpressed drawl, aimed at the guards. "They'll need speed conditioning for sure."

He blocked them out as he pulled on the shirt. There was a zipper down the side so it could be removed quickly, and he shuddered to think of why that was a necessity. Next he yanked off his pants, and then…

And then he gulped, realizing that he definitely wasn't allowed to keep his undergarments on. The other two trolls had started changing, too, he noted, as if in an attempt to distract himself from the inevitable.

_Average response time. Don't let it become below average. That means more training, more pain, and you don't want that._

With a sharp, deep breath, Karkat shoved his undergarments down and reached for the pants stiffly. He tried not to think about the way they dug into his upper thighs with how tight and short they were, or the way his nook felt  _so_  exposed through the ungodly slit in the fabric between his legs, or even the way the cloth practically squeezed his sheath shut. But still, he would bear it. They couldn't touch him. Eridan had said they couldn't touch him. He would deal with it.

The other two trolls finished changing, and then the Commander was leering at them dangerously. "Average," he said again. "Perfectly average. We can work on that." He shuffled a little closer. Uncomfortably close. Karkat fought the urge to shove his hands over his groin at a sad attempt at covering himself further. "Those were the basics, and you performed adequately. Now, let's move onto something a little more…I suppose,  _difficult?"_  He swung a finger in Karkat's direction. "You. On your feet."

He rose from the kneel he'd reentered after changing his clothing. Stared determinedly at the ground.

"Good," the Commander purred. "Now, you see that guard right there? Walk over to her."

He raised his head just long enough to see which guard the Commander was pointing at. She was a tall thing, wiry and lean. A tealblood with short, spiraled horns. He carried himself over to her on shaking legs and stopped when he was about five feet in front of her.

"Closer."

He edged closer. Two feet between them.

_"Closer,_ pet. Don't make her punish you."

One foot between them. Then six inches. He tried not to look her in the eyes.

"There you go," came the approving rumble. "Now get on your knees."

His blood ran cold.  _What?_

"Your  _knees."_

He forced himself down. Eridan had said he was safe. He would be safe. He  _had_ to be safe. He was the Vice Admiral, right? Who would dare to go against him? He had said that the Commander wouldn't—

"That's a start," the Commander said softly, dangerously. "Now you're going to put your hands behind your back. Grab your wrists."

He did. His grip was nearly vice-tight. His palms were sweating.

"Now I want you to lean forward and press your face right in between her hips."

His breath stuttered in his throat, and he nearly choked.  _He's testing my nerves,_ he reasoned.  _Seeing how close I'm willing to get even though he_ knows  _that he's not allowed to let anything happen. Well, I'll just have to out-nerve him. I'll have to show him that I can obey any order he throws at me._ He leaned in. Panic radiated from his very core as he just barely brushed his forehead to the flat expanse between the guard's hips. He thought he heard her huff out a little breath.

"Good, kid. Now use your teeth to undo her belt."

_Oh god, no._ He leaned back a little and stared in horror at the buckle. It looked doable, if he just tugged at one end and then the other, but…the thought of actually  _doing_ that…

_Another test of nerves,_ he tried to tell himself.  _I'll prove that I'm willing to do it, and before I'm done he'll tell me to stop and say something like, 'you passed my test, good job, now go back to Eridan!'_ But that was ridiculous and he knew it.

_At the very least it's better than some of the other things they could be doing to me. They want me to undo her belt? Fine. It's better than what's happening to those three that refused to kneel._

Trying not to think about what he was doing, Karkat leaned forward and closed his teeth around the end of the guard's belt. Pulled it back, managing to get it through the little loop and angle his head so that the metal prong fell out. It took a bit of fidgeting, but he managed to hook the other end on his teeth and yank until it slid out of the buckle and hung loose. He'd done it.

"Undo the zip and the button on her pants."

_How far is he going to push me? How far can I make myself go?_

He bit down on the little flap of fabric at the front of her pants and tugged until the button slid through the loop. Then…the zipper. Karkat tried to reach for it with his teeth, and winced when he had to mash his face into the guard's groin. Oh,  _fuck,_ something was moving in there. He tried not to let the moisture in his eyes build too far as he fumbled for the zipper, tonguing along the seam in a panicky attempt to get his lips around the tiny metal nub.

"Tick tock, kid," the Commander taunted. "Is this too much for you?"

He blinked hard, and finally his teeth closed around the metal prong. He pulled it down slowly.  _Any second now, he'll tell me to stop. Any second now it'll end._

"There you go," the Commander rumbled, amused. "Shujoh, will you be a dear and push those down for him?"

The guard shoved her military grade pants down to her ankles without hesitation, and Karkat was struck with the cold realization that she'd done this before. She knew how this routine went. What would come next? Was it over? Surely this game of chicken was drawing to a close.

"Well, would you look at that?" the Commander whispered. "Look what you did to her, kid. Take care of it."

He could see it. He could see her bulge, writhing against the inside of her boxers.  _No no no no no, Eridan said this wouldn't happen said I was safe said he would protect me why is this happening I don't understand why can't I make it stop why can't I escape why is this happening to me why_

The Commander rolled his eyes, apparently mistaking his paralyzing terror for uncertainty. "Mutant filth! Put your mouth over her bulge!"

His muscles locked up. He couldn't have moved if he'd wanted to. "E-Eridan said—" he choked out, but the rest of the words turned into a garbled mess.

"Eridan said what?" the Commander taunted. "Because all I remember him ordering me to do was keep my hands off of you. Well, promise kept! I'm not touching you."

His blood ran cold, and he understood.  _Fuck you, Eridan. Fuck you and your inability to close all your fucking loopholes._

"Now, either you put your mouth over her bulge, or I'll devise some  _delightful_ manner of making you wish you were never hatched. Understand?"

Terrified, he eyed the front of the guard's pants. Could he really do… _that?_ Eridan had told him to do whatever it took, had told him to obey, but he'd never thought it would go this far. He'd hoped that he would be safe.

The Commander was smirking. "Not as well trained as Eridan suggested. Fine, then—if you won't put your mouth on her, then how about you use your fingers?"

Oh, he  _knew_ this game. The person in charge, attempting to break someone down, had a very simple strategy they could use to completely demolish the will of their victim. Step one: prove to the victim that they had no power. Step two: order them to do something heinous. Step three: when they inevitably refused, order them to do something slightly more favorable. The victim would doubtlessly choose the less vile option, familiarize themselves with it, and soon the person in charge would switch up the orders. Make them more extreme, but since the victim had become used to the first order they would no longer find the second as impossible. The controller would slowly amp up the intensity until the victim was willing do anything without question.

"Come on," the Commander urged, "just cup her with your hand."

He knew the game. Which meant that he knew if he disobeyed this less offensive order, he'd be brutally beaten before he was offered the same choice again. It was a classic psychological maneuver. He…he had no choice.

Slowly, fighting the rising bile in his throat, he placed his hand over the guard's bulge through her undergarments. She hissed softly in pleasure.

"Move your hand a little, kid. But no claws, or your head'll be on a pike in about half a second."

One, thick swallow. Then he squeezed just a little with that singular hand, cringing at the feel of the guard's bulge wriggling under the fabric.  _Deep breaths. You can do this. Prove you're obedient._ Although if he was really trying to prove that, he had a feeling that the guard's bulge would be halfway down his throat right now.

"How about you slide her boxers down?"

He tensed again.

"Or, if that's too much, you can always put your lips on her."

_Fuck you._

He wouldn't do it. He couldn't. He couldn't face what was going to happen if he obeyed that order.

The Commander seemed to sense that he'd hit a wall. "Let me tell you how this is going to go, kid. Or rather, let me give you an  _order."_ He lifted a finger, jabbing it at the guard. "Get her off."

"W-what?" he spluttered.  _"What?"_

"You heard me. Get her off, any way you like. That's your test now, because you refused to do exactly as I say. I  _was_ going to let you stop once you put your mouth on her, but now you've made me angry so you're going to get her there here and now."

_I should have obeyed. I should have listened to him._

"Well? Get going."

He wet his lips. His hand was still on her, and he gave a tentative little squeeze as he contemplated the task at hand. He should do it. He knew that he should. But…

He let his hands fall to his sides. "I can't."

The Commander gave a disappointed hum. "No," he agreed. "You can't." He nodded to the guard he'd been forced to touch. She fastened her pants immediately. "Back in line with you, kid. I've seen enough for now."

He scrambled back into line gratefully. The Commander was talking again, ordering the troll next to him to start up the same drill. He wasn't watching, though. He was too busy trying to calm his breathing, his mind. He needed to stop panting.

The others were ran through the same drill. One troll wimped out before they could even get their guard's pants off. The other had let their guard slide his bulge straight down his throat.

Finally, then, the test was over. The Commander gave an approving nod to the last slave, a moderate shrug to the one in the middle, and a glower to Karkat. "You've all performed adequately, some more so than others. I think I've gathered a good idea as to your skill levels, and your tests tomorrow will be more, ah…  _personalized._ " He waved a hand for his guards. "Take them back to their cells for now. We'll continue this later."

 

* * *

 

"You," an eerily familiar voice stated, "are a mess."

Eridan jolted, eyes opening rather sharply.  _What the fuck? Where am I? What happened?_

"A right mess," the voice repeated. "A fuckin' disaster. You can't even be trusted to serve your Empress. Who just so happens to be  _my_ Empress too, you asshole."

Green. Everything was green. Why was everything green?

There was an exasperated groan. "You're lyin' face down in the grass, you idiot. Get the fuck up!"

Oh. That…explained a lot.

… _Wait no it didn't what the fuck?_

Eridan pushed himself up in alarm, bracing his arms against the grass(?) and using them to lift himself to his knees, then his feet. It…It  _was_ grass. It was fucking grass! Why was there grass? Where was he? Why was there a sky if he was in space?

"Calm down. You're not in space."

He whirled around to face the source of the voice. Stared in confusion. Then, "Dualscar…? What are you…?" He hadn't seen his ancestor since the game, when he'd spoken with both him and Cronus inside of dream bubbles. Apparently their ancestors weren't even supposed to be in those bubbles, seeing as they hadn't played the game, but they'd been there nonetheless. And now here he was again.

"Hey, kid," Dualscar rumbled in a low, dangerous tone. "Long time no see."

It had to be a dream. But hadn't the dream bubbles been destroyed or something? How was this possible?

Dualscar took a step closer, the bright Beforus sun glittering off of his gelled hair. Eridan had seen this all before, of course—had seen the bright grass and the looming trees and the beautiful sky—but it seemed somewhat darker now. More sinister. "You've gotten yourself into quite the predicament," he said casually.

Eridan just shook his head, taking a step back. Something felt off. "Why am I here?" he questioned somewhat hazily. "What's going on?"

"Why are you here? Well, I don't know—let's try thinkin' about the fact that you're  _actually considerin'_ taking Serket's advise and runnin' off with the younger Signless!"

He blanched. "What? No, I wasn't considerin' that! I'm loyal to the Empress, I swear I am!"

"Like hell you are, shorty! I can see right inside that little head a' yours, and I can fuckin' tell that you've been thinkin' real hard about what she said to you."

"I—I wasn't!"

"You  _were._ So I suppose that's why I'm here, really—to fuckin'  _warn_ you before you do something stupid like betray the Condesce."

Right. He remembered the legends. Dualscar had been endlessly devoted to the Condesce, much like Eridan himself had been devoted to Feferi early in their childhood before it all went wrong. Dualscar had never questioned his loyalty to her. He'd killed and killed and killed, doing her bidding despite the fact that she'd never really seemed to care about him, and Eridan had no doubt that if he were in his situation, he would have killed Karkat himself and been done with it. Complete and utter devotion to the Condesce. That was all his ancestor had to offer.

"I  _know_ you're not actually thinkin' a' doin' this, right?" Dualscar pressed. "I can trust you not to be foolish, can't I?"

He hesitated. He actually hesitated. Dear god, what had finding Karkat again  _done_ to him?

_It gave you your heart back, Ampora. That's what it did._

"You know your duty, don't you?" his ancestor asked. "You know that you're supposed to serve the Empress 'til death. And now, with those damn rebels gaining more and more ground, it's  _crucial_ that you stick by her. My… _associates,_ let's call 'em, are beginnin' to influence your hatchmates into killin' the Condesce."

"Your associates…you mean the other ancestors?"

"That's exactly who I fuckin' mean! They're goin' to your livin' friends and tellin' them exactly how they're supposed to kill her, and we're not gonna stand by such behavior!" Dualscar paced forward, expression dangerous, and curled a fist in Eridan's collar. "You're goin' to put a stop to it, aren't you? You're goin' to kill them before they get to the Empress. It's your destiny, Ampora, and I know you believe in destiny."

Destiny? Following in the steps of his ancestor? "But if we're repeatin' history, then Karkat…"

"He dies. That's inevitable."

"But he's my fuckin' matesprit! Or at least, he was!"

"And now he's not, so you'll kill him. You're not a rebel, Eridan. You're the Vice Admiral, just like I was, an' you'll do what's necessary to make sure your Empress is safe."

_Whatever's necessary. I'll do it._

"You should leave Vantas with the handlers," Dualscar told him. "I had a personal slave too, you know, but I didn't flinch away from making her  _hurt_ whenever she got too bold. And besides, that little lamb you've picked up is marked for death. Might as well lead him to the slaughter as soon as you can."

Eridan closed his eyes.  _No…I love Karkat. I really do. I can't stand the thought of losing him again._ Still, though, Vriska's words were echoing in his mind. Telling him that if he really loved Karkat, he would help him escape.

_Maybe…I should…_

"Your job is to serve the Condesce, even at the cost of your own life and everyone you love. As long as you understand that, nothin' can go wrong."

He blinked, drawn back to reality. "Everyone I love?" he rasped. "Am I allowed no comfort? No happiness?"

"Serving the Condesce should be all the happiness you need. It was for  _me."_

Again, he stared.  _Really_ stared, letting himself look at Dualscar for who he really was. He saw the scars across his eye, the ones that had given him his name. He saw his long, flowing cape, the one riddled with tears and burn marks from his time spent with the Empress. He saw his eyes, dark and sunken from a lifetime at sea. From a lifetime of servitude to someone who didn't even care about him. For the first time ever, he  _saw_  his ancestor.

And then, just like that, everything clicked into startling clarity.

"I need to get Karkat out of there."

Dualscar's eyes went wide.  _"What?"_

"I need to get him away from the handlers. I can't let him go home yet, not with the Condesce ordering him to stay, but…I won't let him stay with the handlers any longer. He's  _my_ matesprit, or at least he  _will_ be if I can ever get him to forgive me for this, and no one else is allowed to so much as look at him. He doesn't belong where I've left him."

"Even a slight betrayal such as this can lead to something problematic," Dualscar snarled. "If you know what's good for you, you'll leave Vantas right where he is."

He shook his head. "You know what? I don't know what's good for me, and the Condesce can just fuckin' deal with it. I've served her loyally for four goddam sweeps, and this is the one thing I want bad enough to fight for. She's not takin' him from me."

"You're goin' to get yourself killed, kid. The Condesce doesn't tolerate loyalty to anyone but herself."

With startling clarity, he realized that he didn't care. He needed to get Karkat away from the handlers, and he needed to do it  _now._ Vriska had been right. If he really pitied him, he wouldn't let anything bad happen to him. He couldn't give up on his duties as Vice Admiral like Karkat wanted, couldn't send him back to Alternia like he desired, but at the very least he could stop whatever hell the poor troll was being put through.

"Thanks for the warning," he told Dualscar, "but I think I'll take my chances."

"You fool, you're walkin' into a tr—!"

He didn't care. He stepped back, closed his eyes, and Dualscar disappeared into nothing.

He had a troll to save.


	20. Blizzard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sollux goes to Gamzee with bad news. Meanwhile Karkat and Rohdan meet again, and not under the best of circumstances.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta tell you, I'm really glad I wrote this in advance because I've been OUT OF IT since I saw Infinity War last week (and again today, because I don't know how to control myself). I'm thinking of writing something short for it, but I'm not sure what yet. I'll let you know if I think of anything!
> 
> In the meantime, I have to warn you just one more time that there's intense noncon in this chapter. This is the most graphic it's gonna get, and it's disgusting and horrible and I'm sorry. This is the last of it, though. Next chapter will be the end of Act 2, so there's a light at the end of the tunnel! God, do I wish I could just tell you what's coming in Act 3. It's going to be so intense.
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are appreciated! And of course, thanks to those of you that have commented regularly! You guys keep my will to write alive.
> 
> This week's chapter is [Blizzard](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpU0FoPsaes) by Thomas Bergersen.

In all fairness, Sollux thought, he  _had_ intended to visit Gamzee before the end of the week to tell him about what had happened to Karkat. He really had. Really! He hadn't been putting it off, terrified that Gamzee might not take the news well and try to kill him without Karkat there to placate him. Not one bit.

Unfortunately, Aradia didn't believe any of that. When she'd found out that he hadn't gone to visit Gamzee despite it having been nearly five days, she'd gone off on him like never before.

"He is Karkat's  _moirail,_ Sollux! We've been over this; he deserves to know if the Empire has snatched him away!"

He groaned at the thought of that particular conversation. He'd never seen Aradia so livid. So he'd promised that he would visit Gamzee the next day and let him know what had happened. At the risk of death.  _Of course._

That was why he'd enlisted the help of one Tavros Nitram.

"Are you, um, sure about this?" the brownblood asked nervously, staggering as he nearly tripped over a crack in the floor of the tunnel. "I mean, I haven't, um, seen him in almost four sweeps!"

"Which is why he'll be so happy to see you again that hopefully it'll offset the pain of losing KK."

Tavros shuffled his feet. He looked miserable, but a little excited to finally get to see Gamzee again. The two of them had been red for a while in the game, but things had fallen apart after Gamzee went into molt and was shoved under military surveillance.

"We're almost there," Sollux said. He'd visited Gamzee a few times before whenever Karkat got too bad to make it there himself, so he knew the way. One more left turn, one last right, a few corners up…

There it was. Sollux reached out and shoved at the hatch that would lead him right into the center of Gamzee's living room. It gave with a click, the hinges shrieking upwards and revealing an unlit room.

"Um, that looks…dark?"

He growled. "Stay on your guard. KK hasn't been around to shoosh him for over a month, so I have no idea what he'll be like. Plus, he might not recognize you if—" He stopped. "Wow. Never mind."

Tavros offered him a small, goofy smile. "Yeah, um, I don't think he would have, forgotten my horns."

"Probably not." Sollux wormed his way up through the hatch and held it open for Tavros. His horns proved a bit of a problem, but he managed to squeeze his way in with a little bit of tricky maneuvering. Then the two of them were there, standing in a pitch-black room with no sign of Gamzee.

"Don't go near the windows," Sollux said, fumbling for a light switch. "He's always being watched, and no one is supposed to be in here except for his moirail _._ "  _Ah, there it is._ He flipped the switch and flooded the room with light.

"Uh, wow," Tavros said.  _Wow_ was right, too. The entire place was wrecked. "What  _happened_  here?"

"Nothing good. Stay close." Sollux let psionics crackle to the tips of his fingertips. If he was going to have to fend off Gamzee, he wanted to be ready.

The two of them crept up the stairs with as much stealth as was possible when Tavros's horns insisted upon scraping the walls every few feet. Gamzee's room was at the end of the hall on the right, and he picked his way there slowly. His bedroom door was open just barely. The interior was dark.  _Not good._

He cleared his throat. "GZ? GZ, are you in there? It's Sollux!"

No response.

Tavros's brow wrinkled with concern. "Um, Gamzee?" He pushed at the door before Sollux had the chance to slap his hand away in alarm. The brownblood poked his head into the room. He must have reached in to flip a light switch, too, because a moment later the entire room lit up and Sollux could finally see what was going on.

"Well shit," he said, because there was really nothing more for him to do.

"Gamzee!"

Sollux watched in grim fascination as Tavros stepped into the room, hopped over all the little piles of garbage and dirty clothing, and dropped to his knees where the indigoblood was sprawled out on the ground. The highblood was crusted with green, suggesting he'd taken a dip in sopor recently without washing it out. What was more concerning, though, was the fact that some of the stuff was dabbed around his mouth.  _I thought KK got him to kick that habit. Or…maybe he lapsed back into it when his moirail went missing._

Guilt flashed through him. This was his fault.

Tavros closed his hands around Gamzee's shoulders and shook lightly. "Gamzee?" he asked again, more frantically this time. "Gamzee, can you hear me? Are you okay?"

Gamzee shifted a little this time. Not dead, then, which was good. Just stunned. "Karbro?" he choked out. "You…you there?"

Sollux's heart broke just a little, which meant that Tavros probably just about died from pity.

"No," the brownblood managed, "it's Tavros. Remember?"

Gamzee stared up at him blearily. "Tavbro?"

"Yeah, Gamzee. It's me. Are you…?"

"Dead," Gamzee finished with a chuckle. "All up and motherfucking dead, Tavbro. Knew I'd get to see that gorgeous face of yours once I died."

"What? No, Gamzee, I'm not dead! And, um, you're not either!"

A slow, disorientated blink. "Huh? But…"

Tavros soothed his fingers over Gamzee's face, dipping low, and Sollux suddenly got the feeling that he was intruding upon something private, something not meant for anyone else's eyes. He shuffled back awkwardly.

"Come on," Tavros whispered, "let's get you cleaned up." He looked back to Sollux. "Can you, um…?"

He jolted. "Right! I'll, ah, be waiting outside."

The door was closed in his face, he heard the sound of running water, and he was left to his thoughts. It could have gone worse, he thought—it didn't seem like Gamzee was particularly violent. Just sort of dazed from the sopor.

When the door opened again about thirty minutes later, Sollux walked in to find Gamzee sprawled comfortably out over the pile he no normally doubt shared with Karkat. All of the sopor had been washed out of his hair and off of his body, and his face paint had been reapplied with sharp, crisp lines. He'd changed his clothes. The room was cleaner.

"Okay," Tavros said, "I think there's something, um, that Sollux has to tell you."

He was careful when he stepped back into the room and let the door close behind him. He was in Gamzee's territory now, he  _knew_ that, and  _he_ was the one that had gotten Karkat captured. If Gamzee decided to attack him he'd defend himself, but still…

"Solbro," Gamzee rumbled, sounding much clearer now that Tavros had worked his magic. "Up and been a whole motherfucking sweep since we last saw each other, brother!"

"GZ," Sollux greeted carefully. He made sure to keep his chin tipped up as he approached, showing his throat just enough to let the highblood know that he wasn't aggressive. He wasn't sure how calm Gamzee was going to be through this, and he didn't want to risk a misunderstanding. "I…um, are you okay?"

The highblood gave a light shrug. "Not really, brother, but what's a motherfucker to do without his best palebro up and by his side?"

There it was. The source of all this shit.

Gamzee looked to the side. His eyes were dark. "Not gonna lie, Solbro, I've been all kinds of motherfucking miserable since Karbro up and vanished."

Something twinged deep in his chest. "About that, GZ…"

"What's going on, brother? Did you find him?"

"I…I know where he is, approximately."

His eyes lit up. "You do? Where is he?"

_Here we go, Captor. Just stay calm._ "There was a mistake. ED…he came here, trying to catch me and kill me, but he ended up finding KK instead. He…he took him, GZ. He took him, and they're not here anymore."

Gamzee went still. Even his breathing stopped. "What?"

"ED has him," Sollux repeated. "He's with the Empire."

"Because of you." It was spoken far too softly, with none of his usual quirks. It wasn't a good sign.

"Yes," he admitted. "It's my fault, GZ. I won't lie. KK was only in a position to be captured because I lied to him about how large the rebellion had become. I shouldn't have lied to him for so long, and I should have been there to protect him, but I just  _wasn't._  He was taken by the Empire because of me."

Gamzee watched him through cold, dangerously sober eyes. If he was going to flip his shit, now would be the time. "My moirail is with the Empire because of you. He could be dead."

He gulped. "Yes. You're right. And…I know this won't mean much, but I swear I'll do everything in my power to get him back."

For a moment, there was nothing. Gamzee just stared, brows drawn, features scrunched up furiously.

Then, in a flash, he moved.

Sollux choked out a stunned gasp as his back struck the ground, a hundred and seventy pounds of wiry highblood muscle pressing into him. He had a split second to register Gamzee's claws biting into his wrists, his knees pressing to either side of his hips, before he was spread out and pinned like a specimen in a glass box.

"Gamzee!" Tavros yelped, shooting to his feet and moving to pull the highblood off. "Hey, come on—!"

"No," Sollux snapped, "don't!"

Tavros went still.

_Okay. Now just keep yourself still and calm._ He knew that if he wanted, he could fry Gamzee's brain with a snap. But he didn't want to kill him, he wanted to  _apologize—_ and if he wanted that apology to be accepted, then he would just have to take whatever Gamzee wanted to dish out.

Slowly,  _ever_ so slowly, Sollux leaned his head back until his horns scraped the ground. His throat was bared.

The highblood made a low, inquisitive sound. Then he leaned down, dipping close to clamp his teeth gently around Sollux's neck, and  _growled._

He let the sound wash through him, rumbling and dangerous, seeping further into his bones with every breath. Gamzee's teeth felt like needles against his throat, pricking at the skin without ever drawing blood. A warning. A  _threat_.

"Gamzee," Sollux rasped as loudly as he dared, the highblood's full name burning like acid on the back of his tongue, "you  _know_ me. Which means you know that when I say I'm sorry, I fucking  _mean_  it."

Gamzee bit down just slightly, the intensity of his growl increasing.

" _Gamzee!"_ he hissed again. "If you really think the only way I can pay for what I've done is to die like this, then  _fine—_ but before you do anything, remember that Karkat wasn't just your moirail, he was my kismesis too. I fucked up, and it cost  _both_  of us a quadrant. If you don't think that's enough of a punishment, then you should kill me. But if you do, I  _promise_ that I'll do whatever is within my power to save him."

Silence. Gamzee's growl puttered out into nothing. He drew back, letting his teeth leave tiny scratches across Sollux's throat. Then, "You'd best be up and keeping that promise, Solbro. Otherwise I'll motherfucking do what I probably should have done just now."

Sollux nearly choked on his next breath. "Okay," he managed. "Okay. Deal."

"And until that up and motherfucking happens, consider me at your motherfucking disposal."

He blinked. "What?"

"The rebellion. I know you're the one running it, brother. I can motherfucking tell that it's you."

"And what, you want to fight? Don't you think that's dangerous without anyone to calm—?"

"I can do it," Tavros said.

"And I repeat— _what?"_

"I can do it," Tavros said again. "I'm not your moirail, Gamzee, but I think I'm good enough to, um, stop you from hurting anyone you don't want to."

Gamzee fixed him with a look of sheer adoration, finally pushing himself off of Sollux. "You'd up and do that for a brother?"

Tavros gave him a shy smile. "I'll do my best."

Sollux dropped his head into his hands with a groan. "Well…we  _could_ use the help. But only if you're sure, TV. It won't be easy."

"Yeah…" Tavros fixed his eyes on the ground. "I, um, know that I'm not Karkat. But I can try my hardest, and that will have to, um, be enough."

Sollux laughed brokenly. "Looks like we're picking old new friends right and left. What's next, Vriska descending from deep space to lead the charge? Terezi ducking out on her job as legislacerator to slash some throats to further the cause? Eridan himself turning his back on the Condesce?"

"With any luck? Yeah."

He shook his head. "Right. Come on, you two. If we're going to do this, we're going to do this right."

Tavros and Gamzee exchanged glances, then rose and followed Sollux from the room.

 

* * *

 

The next day came, and Karkat's entire body buzzed with terrified anticipation as he heard the guards entering the lower levels. He could pick out the Commander's voice amidst the rabble giving orders, but he couldn't quite make out the words. He'd promised that today's training would be hell for each and every single one of them. And after what had happened yesterday…

_Where are you, Eridan? I thought you said you'd be back for me before anything bad happened! I thought you were supposed to be protecting me!_

That was foolish, though, and he knew it. Now that he was really looking back on it, he could tell that Eridan's position as Vice Admiral wasn't exactly respected by most of the crew. Everyone he'd met spoke to him formally, using  _sir_ and  _Vice Admiral_ and never his first name, but it was obvious that they didn't really respect him. The Commander had spoken to him with fake politeness, that dark sneer on his face the whole time, and the Condesce's messenger had glowered openly. Everyone at the party had skirted around him with guarded murmurs and fake smiles.

Now, sitting miserably on the edge of his cot and waiting for his abuser to arrive, he found himself wondering why Eridan was even here. Was it really something so cowardly as wanting to keep his life, even at the cost of  _this?_ It looked like a miserable life. Even for Eridan, someone who would never risk being shoved into the lower levels as a slave, it looked miserable. No power, no trust, no respect. A room that looked like a prison cell. His own ship, but full of trolls that disliked him. Hardly a life worth living.

Oh. Ohhhh no.

What was he doing right now? Was he actually letting himself  _pity_ Eridan, even a little, after everything he'd done? Was that  _actually_  what was happening? He was sitting in a cell, fucking waiting for some asshole to barge into the cell and  _violate_  him because Eridan had dumped him in the lower levels, and he actually had the nerve to  _pity_ that bastard?

No. Absolutely not. He was putting a lid on that  _right now._ Eridan didn't deserve his pity.

Furious with himself, he missed the first time the guard standing outside his cell told him to get up. It was only when the tealblood banged on the bars and snapped, "I said  _get up,_ unless you want to be sucked out an airlock!" that he realized he was being addressed.

He jolted to his feet at once. He couldn't waste time thinking about Eridan now. He couldn't focus on that soft, red feeling that he'd never really lost but had shoved down and down and down, that Eridan himself had tried to stamp out when he'd taken him from his home and shoved him down into the lower levels. He couldn't think about that now. If he didn't throw himself fully into making sure he got out of the lower levels, he didn't know what kinds of things would be done to him. He needed out  _now._

So. It was time to push his feelings down, suppress his common sense, and do whatever it took to get out alive.

He stepped out of the cell when the guard ordered it, standing just outside and waiting as the Commander appeared at the end of the hall. His stomach twisted at the sight of him, but he supposed that was what the vile man  _wanted._  He wanted all of them to be afraid, so afraid that they bended to his every will.

"Hello there, lovelies!" the Commander chirped. He hadn't made them line up today, but was letting them just stand there at the entrances to their cells with a guard standing at each slave's shoulder. "I hope you got a good night's sleep, because today is when the  _real_ fun begins. Yesterday was more of a…hmm, let's go with  _preliminary exam._  Now that I know approximately where each of you stand, we can begin your  _personalized_  training."

Karkat  _really_  didn't want to know what that meant.

"So, let's get started!" The Commander approached the first prisoner, two up from where Karkat was standing, and proclaimed, "Shows promise, but shame is an issue." Then, to the guard, "Take her up to the main deck and conduct basic obedience training there. Let's see if we can't clear up those pesky inhibitions."

In a flash he understood, and then wished that he didn't.

The Commander approached another slave. " _Excellent_ performance yesterday," he purred. "You'll be working with me today. No punishment necessary."

One possibility eliminated. At the very least, he wouldn't be forced to handle the Commander's orders again.

"And then there's you."

Karkat bristled as the Commander's gaze came to rest on him.

"Showed promise at first," was the distasteful comment, "but then promptly threw it out the door. What to do, what to do…" He tapped a claw against his chin thoughtfully. "Oh, that's  _right!_  I know exactly what to do with you. Ensign, go ahead and haul him up to Usyidu's quarters. He offered to help out with him specifically."

_Usyidu._ Where had he heard that name before? He thought hard, struggling to recall just why it sounded so familiar, but came up with nothing. Beside that, was it normal for a slave in training to be sent to someone's private quarters? Shouldn't he be in a training room or something?

"Yes sir!" came an enthusiastic response, and then Karkat was hissing in pain as the guard's claws clamped down on the back of his neck and shoved him forward.  _Stay calm,_ he had to tell himself as he was pushed along, the Commander's voice fading into nothing as he disappeared behind a wall of steel.  _Eyes down,_ he told himself as a means of quelling the panic rising deep in his chest. _Breathe in, out. What can you feel? What can you hear? Smell? See? Who are you, right now? What does it mean to be Karkat in this moment?_

He ran himself through the drill once, while the lift was carrying both him and the guard higher and higher. Then twice, when the lift opened and they were spit out into a hallway on what looked to be a higher portion of the ship reserved for commanding officers to live in.

_One more time,_ he told himself. He counted his breaths. His heart rate slowed.  _Eyes down._

He was turned down another hallway.

_Breathe in, out._

He was ushered along.

_What can you feel?_

Clawtips bit into his neck.

_What can you hear?_

Machinery whined behind the walls as he took one step, two steps, three. There were trolls hidden behind closed doors, laughing and growling and snapping and joking.

_What can you smell?_

The stench of copper caught in his nostrils. Someone, somewhere, was bleeding.

_What can you see?_

He forced his eyes to stay locked onto his feet. He wasn't wearing shoes; they hadn't been a part of his  _uniform_. The claws on his feet were snarled and yellowed, ill taken care of. The floor beneath those claws was dappled with varying shades of gray, alternating from tile to tile to tile to tile.

_Who are you, right now?_

Right now, he was Karkat Vantas.

_What does it mean to be Karkat in this moment?_

Right now…

The guard stopped him in front of a door and knocked once, twice, harshly. "Commander Usyidu!"

In this moment…

Someone shuffled inside the room, then called out, "Come in!"

He forced the world into clarity. Right now, in this moment, he was Karkat Vantas. And that meant being a slave, for however long it took to keep himself alive. This was not how he died. This was not how he would  _let_  himself die.

The door slid open, and then the guard was pushing him forward into a room far more lavish than Eridan's. Who  _was_ this Usyidu guy, that his room was so much more elaborate than the one given to the fucking  _Vice Admiral?_

He got his answer a moment later when another door—probably the one leading to the bathroom—slid open, and a tall, muscular,  _familiar_ troll stepped out into the main room.

Instantly, his whole body froze over with sheer, unadulterated horror.

"Commander Usyidu," the guard said, "I brought you the trainee you requested."

"Please," the blueblood smirked. "Call me Rohdan."

He was ice. His whole body was ice.  _Eyes down,_ he tried,  _count your breaths,_ but it wasn't helping. His eyes were flicking up at Rohdan more and more with every passing moment, his breathing was slowly spiraling out of control, growing faster and faster, and he couldn't make himself focus. All he could think about was the fact that Rohdan, the troll that had brutalized him for upwards of two weeks, was standing right in front of him.

"Here he is," the guard intoned briskly. "The Commander of the handlers wished for me to pass along our undying gratitude that you've continued to help us with the new recruits for so long. We would have been lost without you pitching in over the sweeps."

Rohdan gave an overly pleased wave of the hand. "Oh, please. It was hardly a chore. And  _this_ one I've taken a  _special_  interest in."

_Oh god._

"You should know that Ampora's already voiced his desire to take this one as his personal attendant. Of course you're free to do what you wish with him, but keep in mind that any lasting damage will probably make the Vice Admiral quite upset."

"Right," Rohdan snorted. " _Eridan._  I'm not concerned about him. If he confronts me, I hardly think my position will be challenged. Now get out of here, and—"

"No!" Karkat burst out before he could stop himself.

Two pairs of eyes swung in his direction. "No?" Rohdan repeated. "Oh, darling, you don't  _get_ that word anymore! Not to fear, I'll make sure you  _thoroughly_ understand that by the end of our little session here. I offer to help train the new recruits for a reason, after all, and it's not to let little scraps of flesh like you run around thinking they actually  _mean_ something!"

He choked on his next breath. "N-no," he stuttered, "you can't, can't just  _leave_ me here, not with him! You don't understand, I—!"

Something struck right between his pectorals with sharp, bruising force, and he crashed to the ground in his struggle to breathe. "Don't worry," Rohdan said, sounding almost bored as he turned to speak to the guard. A foot pressed to Karkat's lower stomach  _(right_ where his globes were the most swollen, fuck, he'd  _really_ been trying to ignore that situation until he either died or somehow ended up back on Alternia), grinding him into the ground with slow, persistent pressure. "I can handle this one. I've dealt with him before, while he was being transported here aboard Ampora's ship."

"I understand, sir. Is there anything else you require?"

Rohdan waved a hand dismissively. "No, that will be all. We're going through basic command training, right?"

"Yes sir."

"Very well. You're dismissed."

_No, no, no, don't leave!_ Karkat struggled, unable to contain himself beneath the person that had nearly slaughtered him only a week prior. He didn't think he could handle it if he had to face Rohdan down again. He'd promised himself that he wouldn't die here, but he'd never foreseen  _this._

The door closed, and Karkat was alone with Rohdan.

Rohdan looked down at him with a light smirk. "Long time no see, kid. I'll admit, I didn't think I'd find you this way. I always help train the new recruits, you know. It's just a fun little pastime of mine, breaking trolls down. But imagine my surprise when I got in the newest list of names and saw yours right at the top! I honestly expected Eridan to refuse to put you into the rotation. Here you are, though, and here I am, so just  _imagine_ all the fun we could have together!"

Karkat fought to dislodge Rohdan's foot from his abdomen. It was  _really_ starting to hurt, having all that direct pressure right where it had been hurting steadily for nearly two months, and he needed to get away  _now._

"No use in fighting," Rohdan told him. "Have you already forgotten how much stronger I am than you? How easy it would be for me to just…snap your neck?"

"T-the Condesce would h-have your head," Karkat rasped out. He was shaking.

Rohdan shrugged. "True. Not your neck, then. How about a few fingers? Or maybe an arm? That wouldn't kill you, but it'd make you scream nice and loud."

"Eridan would—!"

" _Eridan_ wouldn't be able to do shit about it. I know you think he's your knight in caped armor, but he's nowhere  _near_ as powerful as he seems to think he is. I'm more of a Vice Admiral than he'll ever be, and the Condesce knows it.  _Everyone_ knows it."

Rohdan's boot pushed harder into his abdomen, and he saw stars.

"But that's beside the point. Forgive me, dearest—it seems I drifted a little. How about we get back to the matter at hand? Namely, the fact that  _you_ need a healthy round of training to set you on track. Honestly I'm a little surprised that Eridan dropped you here. Thought he'd be a little more irrational, trying to help you escape or something. Since you're here, though, I guess I should probably do my job."

He pushed up hard against Rohdan's boot, and this time it moved. He managed to scramble back a few feet before there were claws hooked into the front of his shirt, hauling him up and slamming him against the nearest wall. His front was smashed up against steel and his horns were ground into the unforgiving metal, and the instant Rohdan pressed himself up against his back he nearly screamed. As it was he was panting, choking, half a breath from fucking  _begging_ him to stop. This would break him, he  _knew_ it would, no matter how hard he tried to keep the cracks from widening.

Rohdan laughed low and dark against his flesh. "Don't worry, doll," he purred. "I'm not going to touch you. You have my word on that."

"You—!"

"Nor am I going to force  _you_ to touch  _me,"_ he said, cutting Karkat off before he could ask the question. "No. I don't need to do either of those things to break you down. The dear Commander asked me to put you through basic command training and I will, but don't expect anything but the swiftest punishment when you refuse to do  _anything_ I say."

What if it was like yesterday? What if he couldn't do what he was ordered? He would be sent right back beneath Rohdan's knife, beneath his claws, beneath his vicious ability to manipulate the mind, and he knew he couldn't take it.

Slowly Rohdan pulled back until Karkat was standing freely against the wall. "Do you know what command training is?"

He shook his head. His horns scraped the steel with every movement.

"It's simple, really. Exactly how it sounds. I  _command_ you to do something, and you do it. Over and over and over, until I'm convinced you're unwilling to say no. This is just basic stuff, of course—after me you'll be passed through higher levels until you'll say yes to  _anything._ You don't have to worry about that now, though. Now it's just you and me."

He pushed himself further into the wall, hoping to disappear. Even if he wasn't going to have to do anything with Rohdan that still left the option of  _other trolls,_ and the very thought terrified him."

"Now," Rohdan said, "how about we get started? I'm sure the Commander worked you over yesterday, so you should know the drill." He snapped his fingers and pointed to a weird circular platform that took up the center of the room, cushioned and held a good two feet off the ground. "Kneel."

The same command as yesterday, but now it was coming from Rohdan instead of the Commander and he  _hated_ it.

_What choice do I have, though? It's either this or be tortured. Kneel for him or be put right back under the knife. And…I can't give up here. Not yet. He's said he won't touch me, so maybe I can get through this._

Rohdan was waiting. Unlike the commander, he didn't snap at him when he hesitated. He just watched, brows raised, arms crossed over his chest, and waited for Karkat to obey like he knew he would. He was in charge here, and it radiated from his every pore.

He had no choice. Slowly, keeping his eyes on Rohdan the entire time, he picked his way to the center of the room and knelt on the edge of the platform.

"Beautiful," Rohdan said with a smirk. "I don't think I took the time to compliment you on the outfit."

He squeezed his legs shut instinctually. He was still wearing the uniform, obviously, and he felt more exposed than ever.  _Just get through it. Grit your teeth, keep your breathing steady, and deal with it. Eridan will…will_ rescue _you. Eventually._

"Why don't you get that top off?"

He could handle it. He reached down and undid the zip on the side of the skimpy garment, letting it flutter to the ground off the side of the platform.

"Mmm,  _very_ nice," the blueblood purred. "Lay back, gorgeous."

His stomach twisted unpleasantly at the words. He was putting himself in  _such_ a vulnerable position, he  _knew_ he was, but…when he thought about the alternative…

Karkat leaned back until he was propped on his elbows, legs hanging off the edge of the platform. Then, when Rohdan just stared at him patiently, he slid down to lay on his back.

"Legs on the platform."

He obeyed silently.

"Now prop yourself up against the pillows."

He glanced back. There were several large, fluffy pillows against the headboard on the platform, and he laid himself back against them. They gave him just enough lift to be able to see Rohdan, to look him in the eyes, which wasn't at all what he wanted.

Rohdan smirked. "Comfortable?"

He bared his teeth.  _Fuck you,_ he wanted to say, but he didn't want to know what would happen if he did.

"Not very talkative," Rohdan chastised. "Fine, then, I can work with that. I'd like you to put a hand on your chest."

He lifted a hand and let it fall to his chest, keeping the touch light. This was reasonable. He could do this.

"There we go. Now…how about you lay there nice and pretty while I explain something to you?" Rohdan pushed himself off the wall and stalked closer, step by step. "I  _could_ be ordering you to service me, or one of my many associates. I could be ordering you to do both at once. But I'm not. Do you want to know why?" Two more steps, each falling heavy as boulders. "Because I think that if I want to break you down,  _this_ is the way to do it.  _Humiliation_. Knowing that someone else has full and complete power over you, and having to  _force_ yourself to submit. That's what this is, kid. And whether you like it or not, you're going to obey me. So." He leaned close, eyes biting into Karkat's vulnerable form. "Touch your grubscars."

Realization flashed through him, followed closely by horror.  _Do what you're told,_ he reminded himself.  _Keep your head down. Listen to him._  But his muscles weren't listening. He tried to reach up and obey, and he just  _couldn't_. He was locked in place.

Finally, nearly two minutes later when Karkat had done nothing but tremble fearfully, Rohdan piped up. "Are you disobeying me?"

The flash of claws caught Karkat's attention. It was the very thing he needed to snap himself out of it and jerk his hand, still resting on his chest, a few inches to the left. He cringed as his fingertips slid across his grubscars, slow and dry.

"Much better," was the approving rumble. "That's not so bad, is it? Use both hands."

He bit back a disturbed keen, but raised the other hand and used it along with the first. Just rubbing, light, the touch so bare he hardly felt it.

" _Claws_ , kitten. Use your claws."

He did. He ran his claws up and down his sides, and  _oh god._ He  _felt_ it. A jolt of something warm and awful ran through him from horntip to toe.

Rohdan's smirk grew ever wider, and he chuckled, "Feel good? Training doesn't have to mean punishment, little one. If you obey, you're rewarded. So if you feel like being rewarded, I'd advise you to reach up and give your horns a good squeeze for me."

_That will incapacitate me. I won't be able to fight back._ But there was no point in being able to fight back if it just meant he'd be shoved under Rohdan's knife. So he reached up, grinding his teeth together with all his strength, and curled both hands around the nubs he called horns. Squeezed gently.

"Harder."

He clenched his hands into fists around his horns.  _Ohhhh…that's good._ Then he jolted.  _No, wait, stop! Don't let yourself get swept away by it! So what if he tries to horn-daze you? You can fight it!_

His body didn't seem to be listening. He'd only squeezed once, but it had been hard enough to send a healthy dose of subduing biochemical coursing through his bloodstream. His head felt fuzzy. Already he wasn't thinking as clearly.

"Enough."

He stopped immediately. The high in his system was making everything go soft and hazy.

"Do you feel good?"

Karkat groaned.

"Perfect," Rohdan murmured. "Now spread your legs for me, darling."

He knew there was something wrong with that order, something inherently  _bad_ about what he was being asked to do. There were just enough biochemicals in his system to take the edge off, though, and that combined with his former determination to obey every order given to him were crossing some strange wires in his brain. Slowly, haltingly, he slid his legs apart.

Rohdan seemed to like that. His eyes went bright, lips quirking upwards, a soft rumble starting up low in his throat. "Bend your knees. Brace yourself against the platform."

He obeyed.

"Now…this might seem difficult, lovely, but I need you to obey me very closely. I want you to slide your hand right on down your chest and cup between your legs."

_No._ Absolutely not. There was no  _way—_

Something twinged in the back of his mind. It was a familiar weight, a sort of buzzing that took up residence at the base of his skull and started kicking further and further up in intensity, and he recognized it immediately.  _Rohdan's using his powers on me. Targeting the center of my brain that interprets pain. One scratch and I'll be screaming._

"I said I wouldn't touch you," Rohdan reminded him dangerously. "Don't prove me a liar. For  _your_ sake."

He gulped. Shivered.

"Now  _obey me!"_

The tone sent flickers of warning through his system, telling him that this was  _not_ a battle he was going to win, telling him to  _submit._ Get it over with. Make it quick.  _Don't get sick,_ he told himself, though the tang of bile was strong at the back of his throat.  _You can do this. Just do what he says and keep yourself alive. Just…keep yourself alive. Get rid of the part of yourself that cares._

One breath in, one breath out. Slow, even. Calming. He reached into his own head, touch light, gentle, and sidled out all the parts of himself that cared about what was happening to him. Gripped them tight, now, claws digging into the edges. Shoved them far, far back, until not a glimmer could be seen. Slammed the doors hard in their wake. Then he grabbed for a latch and clicked it into place, locking all his emotions up tight in the very back of his mind.

_No more emotions now. Just actions, and whatever it takes to survive._

Karkat slid a hand down his chest without thinking, lingering briefly at the place where he could feel the swell of his globes through his skin, then dipping even lower to slide between his spread legs.

Rohdan sneered at him viciously. "Was that so hard?"

He didn't answer. He wouldn't let himself feel a thing, not mentally. He had removed himself from the situation.

"Keep touching yourself, just like that. Move your fingers."

Karkat obeyed mindlessly. He kept his palm pressed firm in its place, rubbing a little with his fingers around the slit in his uniform. His other hand stayed on his side to rub along his grubscars.

"A little lower."

He cut off a shiver before it could really get going as he did just what he said. He slid his fingers lower, not missing the way they were pressed right over his bare nook, and left them there.

"Did I say you could stop moving your fingers?"

_Don't think._ He flexed his fingers, rubbing right where Rohdan wanted him to but not dipping inside. Not yet. Not until—

"Why don't you slide a finger up into yourself, beautiful?"

Not until  _that._

_Make it impersonal,_ he ordered himself.  _It's not you. That's not you, lying on the platform with your legs spread for him. It's someone else. You're just watching through someone else's eyes. Who cares if this is happening to someone else?_

By the time his train of thought petered out into nothing, he already had one finger fully seated inside of himself. It didn't hurt—he'd been careful of his claws—but it did feel strange, a sort of clinical intrusion. He was purposefully avoiding the place where his shame globes had swollen painfully to press towards the front of his nook. He'd been pent up for so long, had been in so much pain, that he knew touching there would push him high into the throes of incoherency.

Rohdan snorted. "Do I really need to tell you how to touch your nook?"

So he wanted him to keep going. Fine. He'd do it. Karkat pressed in further, keeping his finger low and away from his globes. He was sensitive there, but as long as he kept away from the roof of his nook…

"Your  _globes,_ darling. I can tell you're not enjoying yourself."

A cruel joke. He couldn't get off like this and Rohdan  _knew_ it. But if he wanted to play some sick, twisted game, then he'd do it. He crooked his finger up.

… _Oh_. Okay, that may have been a mistake.

"Oh, did you  _like_ that?" Rohdan purred, no doubt in response to the almost desperate trill that single touch had worked from Karkat's throat. "Try two fingers, you'll like that even more."

He gladly added a second, chasing that high he knew he'd never be able to reach. For now it was almost good, and  _oh god_ it had been so long since he'd managed to get off and so long since he'd been free of that awful, bloated pain, and he just wanted  _so badly_ to feel normal again. This wasn't the way to do it, he  _knew_ that, but the combination of having his horns squeezed and having his globes stimulated  _just_ enough to feel it was casting a haze of white over his mind. He wanted more and he didn't. He could feel moisture beginning to gather around his fingers. His body, desperate for completion, was well in the act of betraying him.

A low, amused rumble reverberated through the room as Rohdan watched him with hungry eyes. "How does it feel? Tell me."

"I-It…" He choked on a half-formed trill. "Good. F-feels good."

"Yeah," Rohdan purred, "I know it does. And if we just…" He reached out without touching, twisted his hand around, and Karkat nearly shrieked as he felt the snarled touch of Rohdan's powers hooking into his head and just  _intensifying_ everything. "Doesn't that feel even better?" he taunted, only half serious. "My powers are rather useful in situations such as these, I'll admit." Another twist of the hand, and Karkat's eyes rolled back in his head. His fingers stabbed up of their own accord now, seeking pleasure he'd never be allowed to reach on his own as Rohdan made everything feel better and worse at the same time.

The blueblood laughed. "Easy, love. Don't hurt yourself. Add a third finger, but go slow."

He was inserting a third before the statement was fully out of Rohdan's mouth. He rubbed hard at his globes through the upper wall of his nook until he saw stars. It was  _infuriating,_ being able to grasp at the edges of the relief he'd craved for nearly two months without being able to ever fully take hold of it. Every movement was fogging over his mind more and more. He thought he felt his bulge trying to escape, but he found the fabric too constraining above his nook to unsheathe. By design, no doubt—he had no doubt that highbloods had no interest in being penetrated by their slaves, only in shoving their own bulge into whatever poor lowblood had been assigned to them that day.

"No more!" Rohdan snapped out when he caught Karkat trying to hook his pinky in along with his other fingers. "Just…that. Keep going."

_What's his endgame? I can't get off like this. He knows that I can't. So why…?_

All coherent thought was washed from his mind as Rohdan pinched something in his mind, some nerve that ran down directly to his nook. His head filled with white noise.

"…good," Rohdan was murmuring when he was finally able to hear again. "See how good things can be when you obey? Wouldn't you like for it to feel like this all the time?"

Something else hooked into his mind.  _Obey,_ it whispered. _It will all be okay if you just do what they want._   _You are not allowed to say no._

He pushed himself higher and higher. If Rohdan was speaking, he couldn't hear him. All his world consisted of was himself, the platform he was lying on, and the fingers that were jerking in and out of his nook, pressing in deep to rub circles against his frontal wall every so often. The knowledge that it was impossible to find release this way no longer existed in his mind. All he knew was that it was good, it was somehow  _right,_ and he  _needed_ to let go of the material that had been causing him pain for so many weeks. Nothing else made sense.

"Good boy," Rohdan was purring, and for the first time he looked somewhat affected himself. His eyes were glazed with lust. It should have terrified Karkat, being looked at like that, but he was too far gone to care. "Good boy, you're doing good…"

Footsteps echoed as Rohdan drew closer. The platform's padding shifted when he slithered up to kneel at Karkat's side. Karkat barely even noticed.

"One last command," Rohdan growled. "One last lesson to finish today's session off." He slunk up the platform until he was situated directly over Karkat, straddling his waist, arms caging him in. The whole time the mutant kept his fingers moving, only blearily aware that something was going on outside his own little world. He just felt so  _close,_ so  _desperate_ to relieve himself of nearly two months of pain. He hadn't gone this long in sweeps, and the pain and the pleasure of it all was making his head spin. "Karkat?"

He didn't respond. But then Rohdan's hand sealed around his wrist, yanking his fingers free from his aching nook, and he  _whined._ What was going on? Why couldn't he feel anything anymore? Who was that on top of him?

"One of the most important lessons you'll ever learn in this place is that saying  _no_ is no longer an option," Rohdan told him in a soft, almost inaudible whisper. "But it's not the most important lesson."

He fought to get his fingers back down where they needed to be, but Rohdan's grip was like steel. He couldn't move.

"Do you want to know what the most important lesson is?"

A whine, high-pitched and needy.

"The most important lesson, dearest, is that sometimes your clients are going to change their minds. They're going to promise you one thing, and then suddenly, just like that, they'll decide they want something else instead. And no matter what, there is no such word as  _no_ for you. So…" He reached down and slid his fingers across Karkat's lower abdomen. "Consider this your first lesson."

_Just touch me! Please, please, I can't take it…_

"Tell me this, Vantas—am I allowed to take you?"

_Don't care just do something, anything, don't care, can't care, don't understand why I'm—_

_"Answer me!"_

He rippled to life. "Y-y…"

"What's that?"

" _Yes_ ," he choked, but just barely. He wasn't even sure what he was  _agreeing_ to, was too disorientated and desperate and confused to know what was happening. He just knew that the troll hovering over him was upset, that he should say what he was supposed to say, and then maybe something would happen that would help his head clear up and his nook stop feeling so bereft and aching and  _cold._

Rohdan murmured something in his ear. Reached down. Then, with a jolt, he felt something cold and slick sliding along his inner thigh. He tried to figure out what it was and came up with a giant question mark. Whatever it was, it was laving its way slowly to where his pants gave way to reveal the warm, dripping wetness of his nook. Oh, was it going to help him? Was the thing on top of him going to make the hurt go away?

"That's it," Rohdan snarled in his ear. "Just lay there and take it like the lowblood bitch you are."

Something was probably wrong with that statement, he thought, but by the time he stopped to try and think about it, that slick length was starting to press into him, sliding up against his globes and spiraling inwards and just  _lashing,_ and—

And then everything devolved into chaos.

The body on top of his was yanked away, thrown to some far corner of the room in a flash of stinging bright blue light. Someone was yelling. Yelling and screaming and practically  _shrieking_  in horrified fury. He couldn't tell who it was, or what was going on, though, from how deep he'd sunk into the water. The smooth, dark water that swallowed him whole and dragged him down. His nook was still aching, and he reached down in an attempt to relieve the pain.

A hand slapped his away. More yelling. Another voice was there this time. Feminine and harsh.

Then, suddenly, arms closed around him and lifted. He was being cradled to someone's chest, but he wasn't sure who it was. He rubbed his cheek blindly against their chest. Would they make it go away? Would they help?

_It's okay,_ he thought he heard someone whispering.  _You're safe. I've got you, Kar._

But he didn't have the chance to respond before he was drifting, ushered away into darkness.


	21. Miraculous Autumn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Eridan deals with the aftermath of his bad decisions, and Vriska makes a choice that will turn the tides of war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually a huge idiot, because this chapter is also kind of rapey. It's not nearly as bad as last chapter, but still...I miscalculated a little there. I completely forgot this chapter existed, actually, which is funny because it's one of my favorites. I loved getting to write banter between Vriska and Eridan! They're really fun to pair together. I will have you know that I think Vriska is an awful person in canon, but she needs to be a hero here so...have fun with that, I guess!
> 
> Up next: Karkat catches a break.
> 
> This chapter is [ Miraculous Autumn](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf51bXKembU&index=1&list=FLfOU6do0HHsXnPKzbSMXvYQ) by Tobias Holm.

The day after speaking with Dualscar, Eridan awoke with a purpose. Namely, to save Karkat before anything could happen to him. He had accepted that he would go against the Condesce in this one thing. He hadn't committed to sending Karkat home, but at the very least he would get him away from the handlers.

His first step when he awoke was to make sure the Condesce didn't have anything lined up that would stop him from going to the lower levels to get Karkat out. Luckily it seemed that he'd been granted a relatively inactive day. He took care of his one duty early (messaging the homeworld to make sure they'd managed to get their broadcasting equipment in place), and had promptly prepared to go down to the lower levels.

Unfortunately, it wasn't quite that easy. If he wanted Karkat to get safely back to his quarters without arousing suspicion as to his intentions, he couldn't do it alone—he'd need someone to act as a distraction, to draw attention away from the fact that the only reason he wanted Karkat was for selfish purposes. So then. He needed Vriska.

She was still on the flagship, luckily. When he contacted her, she was outside his quarters in under a minute.

"Finally got your head screwed on straight?" she snapped, batting him over the head. "Are you  _finally_ admitting that I was right, and Karkat doesn't deserve what you've done to him?"

He bared his teeth instinctively. "Fuck you, I just thought that maybe Kar shouldn't be with the handlers anymore!"

"That's a yes, then." She crossed her arms smugly. "So what's the plan, fishfuck? Are you just going to waltz down there and ask for the Commander to hand Karkat over to you?"

"Just about, yeah."

"And I'm here because…?"

"Because I need someone to vouch for me!" he bit out. "I'm the Vice Admiral, so he shouldn't question me, but things have been…well,  _strange._  I'm getting' the feelin' that people aren't respectin' me as much as they used to, like they  _know_ somethin', so they might not believe me if I just tell 'em that the Condesce ordered me to go get Kar out. If you're there, though, that's another figure of authority to convince them that I'm tellin' the truth. Understand?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure. Let's just get this over with before something horrendous happens."

He growled, turned on heel, and stormed off towards the lift. With any luck, training hadn't begun for the day. It would only be the second day Karkat had been down there, so he'd surely be fine, but he wanted to hurry nonetheless. Even though he wouldn't admit it to her face, Vriska had been right about the whole situation. He had to get Karkat out.

The lift ran just as quick as it did on any other day, but it felt especially slow when he punched in the numbers that would carry both him and his unwitting companion to the lower levels. Vriska seemed tense, he thought, and he wondered if she was concerned too. By the time the doors opened, she was practically shaking with what could only be nervous tension.

_When did she grow a heart?_ Eridan found himself wondering, a frown etching itself into his features.  _She was always so cruel when we were young._

"Well?" Vriska snapped, and he realized that he'd paused in the doorway of the lift. "Are you coming or not?"

He jolted into action. He took the lead down the hall, seeking out the Commander. When he couldn't find the troll in his office, he headed to the training room. The door was closed. He knocked once, twice, and listened for a response.

"Come in!" called the familiar, rough voice of the Commander.

Eridan swung open the door.  _Ohhh, god. Eyes up, Ampora. Pay no attention to the slave._ "Commander," he greeted.

The Commander smirked, running a hand through the hair of the slave kneeling at his feet. Training. Had to be. "Vice Admiral!" he greeted in a low purr. "There a reason you're back here?"

He forced himself to look away from the lowblood slave. "We're here to retrieve Karkat Vantas."

The Commander arched a brow. "Oh? Who gave you the authority to do that?"

He felt Vriska stiffen in shock behind him.  _Why is he talking to you like that?_ her body language demanded.  _You're the Vice Admiral!_

_This is what I've been talkin' about,_ he thought. Ever since that meeting two days ago, when the Condesce had sent him out early, it seemed like the entire crew's demeanor towards him had changed. They seemed colder, more distant, and even the lowest ensign had been treating him with more of an edge. Like…he wasn't the Vice Admiral anymore, even though he'd never been demoted.

"The Condesce ordered us to retrieve him," Eridan said sharply. "Where is he?"

The Commander narrowed his eyes. Then, "Captain Serket? Is that true?"

_Deferrin' to a captain instead of the Vice Admiral? What the fuck is goin' on here?_

"Yes, Commander," Vriska said, though she looked just as baffled as Eridan felt. "The Condesce sent the two of us down here to retrieve the prisoner. She wanted to have a word with him before she began the broadcast to the homeworld."

"Hmph." The Commander shrugged. "Well, he's not here."

"What?" Eridan snapped, alarmed. "Where the fuck is he, then?"

"I sent him out for his personalized training session today," was the bored response. "He's up with Commander Usyidu."

Eridan's blood ran cold. "What?" he breathed.

"Usyidu always offers to help out with the new recruits, and he requested Vantas specially. He's up in his quarters, has been for about an hour."

"An  _hour?"_ Eridan shrieked, voice shrill. "What part of  _no extensive damage_ didn't you understand?"

"Usyidu knows the rules, Vice Admiral. The prisoner will be fine."

"No he w—!"

Vriska knocked him over the head with a furious hiss. "Vice Admiral,  _sir._  Don't you think we should retrieve him instead of standing here yelling at someone who was just doing his job?" Even as she said it, she glared furiously at the Commander. She was obviously just as livid as Eridan, and was hiding it better.

"Yes," Eridan ground out, "you're right." He sneered at the Commander one last time, then turned without another word. The indigoblood didn't deserve another second of his time when Karkat was locked up with someone as notorious as Rohdan. "Serket, with me!"

"Yes sir," she growled.

Footsteps echoed. Doors opened. Then they were in the lift again, rocketing for the upper levels where Rohdan kept his quarters.

"Rohdan is a problem," Vriska said, as if Eridan didn't already know. "Has a reputation for breaking slaves down in a single session with those nasty powers of his."

"Yeah. I know." He jabbed the buttons on the elevator as if that would make it go faster.

Silence. Then, "How are you going to play this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I  _mean,_ what are you going to do if Rohdan is…" She trailed off. "If he's  _hurting_  Karkat? If you attack him, it'll be obvious you're only doing it for your own purposes. If you really didn't care, you'd let him finish before you took Karkat to the Condesce."

He knew. He knew, and he didn't care. "This has gone far enough, Vris. If we walk in there and he's hurtin' Kar, I'm goin' to kick his ass."

"What will the Condesce think?"

"I don't care what she thinks. I'm gettin' Kar back."

"I'm not saying you shouldn't; I want to help him too. Just be  _careful,_ Eridan. One wrong move here could get you killed, unless you're planning on taking off with Karkat back to Alternia."

"I…haven't decided what I'll do. Right now, I just want to get Kar to safety."

She watched him for a moment, expression grave. "Fine. If you need help getting him home, you know where I am."

"I  _still_ can't figure out why you care."

"I consider him a friend—and the only one that gets to hurt my friends is  _me."_

He snorted. "Of course."

The lift made a noise, then the doors slid open and they stepped out onto the highest level of the ship. After that there wasn't any talking. The two of them just moved, going along at more of a jog than a walk toward where Rohdan lived.

They turned one corner, two, and then they were there.

Eridan wasted no time. He stormed up to the door and slammed his fist into it, snapping, "Rohdan! Open this door, you piece of shit!"

No response.

"Fine," he snarled. "You asked for it." He reached for the keypad, punched in the universal code, and the door slid open.

He had a split second to take in the situation. Rohdan was crouched on what looked to be a large, circular platform in the center of the room, still clothed save for where he'd shoved his pants and undergarments to his knees. There was a hint of candy red from the space between his legs, someone whimpering and keening that  _definitely_ wasn't Rohdan, and immediately he saw red.

Vriska was a step ahead of him. While Eridan was still standing in the doorway, stiff with horror, she lashed out quick as a shadow and tore Rohdan off of the troll that Eridan was still hoping wasn't Karkat. He couldn't deny it any longer, though, not with Rohdan gone and the troll's face exposed.

"Kar?" Eridan whimpered. He took a step forward, then froze again. What was he supposed to  _do?_

_"Eridan,"_ Vriska hissed. "Get Karkat, you moron!"

He snapped himself out of it and stumbled in his rush to get to the platform. Karkat was lying on his back, propped up by a few pillows and splayed out over the padding with his legs spread wide. "Kar?" he rasped again. "Kar, can you…?"

Karkat didn't respond past a distressed chitter. His pupils were blown wide with arousal, lips slightly parted, cheeks flushed beautifully. Shooting a glance down, he saw that the lips of his nook were puffy and slick. In any other situation the sight would have been gorgeous. Now, it just made him sick.

"Stop that!" Eridan snapped, batting Karkat's hand away as he tried to reach down and touch himself. God, he was really far gone. Eridan had only seen him like this a few times, when he'd gone too far in between releasing and his mutation made him haze over to the point of incoherency. The thought that Rohdan had driven him this far…

He looked up to Rohdan. The instant he saw the blueblood's bulge, out and clearly at the height of arousal, a wave of cold understanding washed over him.

"How fucking  _dare_ you!" Vriska was snarling, holding him to the wall with an arm across his throat. "Do you have no sense of decency?"

Rohdan looked back at her with wide, alarmed eyes. "Captain Serket?"

She bared her teeth. "Sorry for the interruption,  _Commander_ , but we're just following orders and making sure that Vantas gets to the Condesce with as little mental scarring as possible."

"What?"

"Admiral's orders," was the scathing response. "The Condesce sent us down to the lower levels to bring Karkat to her immediately, but we had to track him all the way up here so we've already lost ground.  _Unfortunately_ , that means we don't exactly have the time to let you finish your little  _lesson_. So you can just stay right here while we take him out of here."

_Quick thinking,_ Eridan acknowledged, but that wasn't exactly at the forefront of his mind. Right now he had to take care of Karkat. The troll was lying limp in his hold, head lolling to one side, skin flushed with mutant red as he twitched and whimpered and fucking  _keened,_ practically begging for attention. It was obvious that he was incoherent. He had no idea what was going on.

"Karkat?" he whispered. "Kar, come on, you gotta show me that you're not about to die or somethin." He shook him lightly, but all he got was a desperate little chitter and another attempt to reach down for the slit in his half shredded uniform.  _That's it,_ he thought,  _I need to deal with this._  "Vris, I'm takin' him away from here. Let's go."

" _What?_  Are you kidding me? This scumbag fucking  _raped—!"_

He sucked in a harsh breath. "Deal with it later. Right now there are more important things to take care of."

She looked over to him sharply, mouth opening to snap out a disagreement, but she stopped the instant she saw the way Karkat was clinging to the front of Eridan's cape as if he'd die if he let go. "Fine," she growled. "Good talk, Commander."

Rohdan stared after them. He looked a mixture of bereft and confused and infuriated, but he didn't say a word as he watched Eridan lift the troll he'd just been tormenting from the platform, holding him close to his chest and heading for the door. He would be reporting to the Condesce about this, he was sure.

Eridan didn't look back. Vriska was snapping something else—a warning to Rohdan, probably— but he didn't lend an ear. All he knew was that he had to get to the lift, had to get Karkat back to his quarters and deal with what had been done to him. So he kept Karkat close, cringing as he felt genetic material seep into the arm of his shirt, and hurried him from the room.

"Stay out here and make sure he doesn't leave for a few hours," Eridan ordered as Vriska emerged from the room on his heels, leaving Rohdan behind. "I have to deal with  _this_." He tipped his chin towards Karkat.

Vriska didn't fight him for a moment. "Okay. I'll handle it. But Eridan…if you think even for a moment that you can keep Karkat on this ship after what we just saw, I'll kill you myself."

He didn't have time to berate her before he was turning and running for the lift. He made it to his room in record time, dodging around other trolls and ducking through doorways until he reached his room and managed to get the door closed behind him. His quarters weren't large by any means, but he did have a rectangular sleeping platform that he made quick use of by putting Karkat down and kneeling over him.

He was quick to give the younger troll a quick once over for any injuries. All he saw was the crisscross of scars across his chest, a few fresher scrapes and pricks from Rohdan's rough handling, but that was about it. He wasn't bleeding. No…the more pressing issue was—

"P-please," Karkat whimpered breathily. "Please, I can't…"

Eridan swallowed down a surge of cold horror as Karkat pressed up at him, scrabbling to get a grip on his shoulders for better leverage in trying to grind into his leg. "Kar," he tried, "you gotta snap out of it! You'll be fine, you just have to calm down!"

Karkat didn't seem to hear him. "Hurts," he rasped. "P-please, it h-hurts!"

"No, no, no," he whispered, "I've got you. You're fine."

Karkat shoved his cheek against the mattress. "I-I want…"

Eridan leaned down, holding him against the platform so he couldn't hurt himself. "What do you want?" he asked desperately, hoping he didn't already know. "Anythin' you want, Kar, just name it. I want to help you."

"Eridan," Karkat keened.

He blinked.

"Eridan," he repeated, staring sightlessly at the ceiling. "I w-want Eridan…"

His heart broke then and there. "I'm here, Kar. I've got you."

Again, Karkat didn't act like he'd heard. "W-where is he? I want…" He trailed off, but only so he could chitter needily and thrust up against Eridan again.

"I'm right here," Eridan tried. He reached for one of Karkat's hands and guided his fingers up until he was brushing across his fins. "See? I'm the only one that has these, right?"

Karkat blinked, once, twice. Then, "E-Eri…?"

"Yeah," he said, breath leaving him in a relieved whoosh. "It's me. Rohdan's gone, Kar. He won't touch you again."

His eyes went a little sharper, but not much. "Y-you're Eridan…y-you're…"

Eridan dipped low and pressed a kiss to Karkat's forehead. Trying to emulate pale romance, but missing it by a long shot. He soothed his hands along Karkat's arms, his sides, trying to get him to calm down a little. Unfortunately all it did was make the smaller troll writhe more insistently against him.  _Too far gone,_ Eridan thought.  _He's been retaining that material for so long, way longer than is healthy, and Rohdan just edged him further and further until he broke. Now…how am I supposed to fix this? I can't just wait for him to calm down; I don't think he_ will  _calm down!_

Karkat pressed his horns up against his collarbone. "Please," he whimpered, " _help_  me!"

"Fuck," Eridan breathed. "How am I supposed to help you?"

"J-just…" Karkat grabbed his hand and shoved it down.

Eridan sucked in a sharp breath as he felt his fingers slide across the slick warmth of Karkat's nook. He was fucking  _throbbing_ with want, with the want that had been  _forced_ upon him by his mutation and by Rohdan's edging, and Eridan swallowed hard to keep down bile. "Kar,  _no_ ," he urged softly. "I won't do that to you."

Karkat just gripped tighter onto his wrist and rutted against his hand.  _"Please."_

He bit his lip. He hated himself for it, but he was responding to Karkat's disheveled state. His pants felt a little too tight, and there was an ache starting up right between his legs.  _No! Don't betray him like this!_

Then Karkat shifted his hand in just the right way, and one of Eridan's fingers slid right into his nook. Eridan yelped out a surprised noise that was immediately drowned out by Karkat's answering moan. "Fuck," the troll whimpered, "Eridan,  _please_ just—"

He closed his eyes. "Are…are you sure? I can't…with just my fingers…"

Karkat thrust up against him, taking his finger in deeper and pulsing around him. Eridan could feel where his globes were dangerously swollen, no doubt causing him horrific pain. "Do it," Karkat rasped.

It wasn't consent. He  _knew_ it wasn't. Karkat could hardly understand what was going on around him, hadn't even been able to recognize his own matesprit  _(former_  matesprit,  _former)_. He was in no condition to consent to something like this. But…from the way things looked, it didn't seem like he  _could_ reach coherency until something was done to help him. And in this situation, it looked like Eridan was the only one in a position to do something about it.

"Shh, shh," Eridan shushed when Karkat arched up against him in a desperate bid for further contact. "Just lay back and I'll take care of you. If…if I do anythin' you don't like, don't hesitate to claw me across the face. Okay?"

Karkat nodded, face flushed, sweat beading under his eyes and on his forehead. "J-just  _do_  something,  _please_."

"How do you want this?"

His features twisted just a little. Then, "Let me…" He wriggled beneath Eridan, drawing his body up a little so he could prop himself against the cushions in an eerily familiar position. He let his legs fall to either side against where Eridan's knees were pressed into the mattress. Then he just stared expectantly.

Okay. So the rest was up to him.

What should he do? Should he try to keep using his fingers? Should he use his tongue? Or…just go straight for what would inevitably have to happen in order to make Karkat's pain go away?

Karkat twitched beneath him. Hissed in pain.

_Okay,_ he decided.  _No drawing this out, then. I'll make it quick. Get him off then make sure he's cleaned up. After that…we'll see._

Eridan reached for Karkat's pants, drawing them down and struggling to ignore the resulting whine. If he was going to do this, he was going to make sure Karkat didn't feel like a slave. He cast the garment over the side of the mattress, then grabbed Karkat's ankles and hooked them over his shoulders. Then, finally, he reached down and pushed his own pants down to his knees. His bulge was out already, and it immediately made a break for where it could sense the waiting heat of Karkat's nook. He had to grab hold of himself quick to make sure he didn't overwhelm the poor, wrecked troll spread out beneath him.

"Ready?" he murmured. "I'll make this fast, Kar, don't worry. It won't hurt."

Karkat was back in the throes of incoherency, though. He just shook, letting out a loud keen when he felt the tip of Eridan's bulge sliding against his inner thigh before questing further inward.

Eridan hissed, letting a little more of his bulge slip through his fingers so that just an inch could slide into Karkat's waiting nook. It felt just as good as he remembered. Hot,  _so_ hot, heat that could only come from someone so far down on the hemospectrum that they'd dropped straight off the bottom, heat that felt even more intense to someone as high on the spectrum as him. Only an inch was inside, but already he could feel that tingling warmth spreading up his bulge and down to his nook. If it had been a normal day, back before he left to join the Empire and Karkat went into hiding, he would have taken time to enjoy the dull ache of it all. But this was different. This was something Karkat hadn't consented to, something he would only take out of necessity, and Eridan  _knew_ how much of a scumbag it would make him if he took advantage of Karkat any more than he had to. This wasn't for himself. He wouldn't make it about himself.

"More," Karkat gasped out, and Eridan gave it to him. Slowly, inch by inch, he fed his bulge to the clenching heat. He was large—seadweller large, even, which made him a bit of a monster to Karkat—and so he only let himself slide in to about the midpoint, which was where Karkat had used to like taking him before. He could  _feel_  the squeeze, the rim of Karkat's nook spread barely wide enough to accommodate him. It would have to be enough to—

_"Eridan,"_ Karkat moaned, and his heart leapt in his chest.  _"More."_

_Oh, fuck._ His entire lower body throbbed as one. "I'll tear you, Kar, I can't." He wanted to, though. He kept having to remind himself that this wasn't  _for_ him, that it didn't  _matter_ what he wanted, but his bulge was having other ideas. It lurched and twisted against his fingers in an attempt to obey Karkat's commands.

"Don't care," Karkat breathed against his collarbone. "Please, Eridan,  _please,_ I  _need_ this."

He could feel it, too. He could feel the swell of Karkat's globes even through his stomach, a swell that felt even more exaggerated against the slick sensitivity of his bulge. Inflamed, angry. Karkat couldn't last like this. "Okay," he forced out, even though it wasn't. He took the controlling hand away from his bulge and let it slide a little further into the mutant, then moaned at the squeeze. Karkat's nook pulsed around him with every twitch he gave, clenched and relaxed rhythmically, maddeningly. It was heaven. Despite the circumstances, it was heaven.

A few more inches. Then, just like that, Eridan's hips were flush with Karkat's thighs, and he was fully sheathed inside.  _"Oh,"_ Eridan gasped out just as Karkat choked out his name. "Oh god, Kar, that's…"

"Mph…" was the hazy response. "Er'dan…"

He got the message, if not from Karkat's words then from the way his nook was practically sucking him in. Eridan pressed close, closed his hands around Karkat's hips, and gave a quick, experimental lash inside of him, despite the fact that there wasn't that much room to move. It didn't seem to matter to Karkat, though—the instant Eridan moved, the troll threw his head back and  _moaned,_ this deep, throaty sound that reached straight down to his bones. " _Yes,"_ he choked out, and the word became a symphony all its own as it was repeated and mangled and garbled by Karkat's fangs. Eridan took that as his cue to move.

He worked quickly, efficiently. It didn't matter how good it felt, Karkat hadn't agreed to this and he wouldn't dare take advantage of him. So he stretched deep, circled meticulously in search of the spot that would expedite the process of getting Karkat back in his right mind, and sought none of his own pleasure. He'd lost the privilege of deriving pleasure from Karkat the instant he'd left him on Alternia all those years ago.

_There._ He felt it. A little nub near the back wall of Karkat's nook. The instant the side of his bulge brushed against it Karkat practically went insane, babbling variations of his name and clinging to his shoulders and surging up against him in a long, sinewy movement like a wave. It wouldn't be long now.

Eridan grit his teeth and got to work. Now that he'd found Karkat's breaking point (it had been familiar to him long ago, but now it felt as strange to him as it ever had), he worked him hard and fast towards the edge. His nook ached and his bulge pulsed and he  _hurt,_ but it was fair exchange for having done this to Karkat. He spiraled the tip of his bulge against Karkat's frontal wall in small, tight circles and raked his claws lightly down the mutant's grubscars.  _Get there, Karkat. Get there quick, and then this can stop._

It looked like it was working. While Eridan struggled not to find pleasure in what he was doing, Karkat was clearly on the other end of the spectrum. His eyes were practically rolled back in his head, throat letting these soft, chirping chitters spill out with every lash of Eridan's bulge in his nook, skin tinged pink, lips parted, chest heaving, muscles twitching spastically. His own bulge was leaking a bright trail of candy red over his stomach, and the instant Eridan touched it Karkat keened, high and desperate.

"O-oh god," Karkat choked, "nearly there, Eridan, so close, d-don't stop…"

He redoubled his efforts. One, two,  _three_  good twists around Karkat's breaking point, a few pumps to his slick bulge, the snap of teeth to his neck, and then the mutant was tipped over the edge.

Eridan closed his eyes to it. Karkat was practically convulsing underneath him, body shaking from the force of expelling nearly two months worth of genetic material all at once, nook rippling explosively, red geneslime gushing out in obscene amounts to paint Eridan's entire lower body red. Eridan kept himself moving throughout the entirety of it. Every time he lashed Karkat let slip this  _moan,_ broken and desperate and satisfied all at once, and it only took a minute until the redblood's spasms dyed down to twitching aftershocks.

Silently, Eridan pulled his bulge free of Karkat's nook. He pulled his pants back up and forced the wriggling tendril back inside, despite the immediate pain he felt in doing so. He  _ached,_ damn it, was practically  _pulsing_ with the desire to get off. But…this had been about Karkat. Karkat was safe, was satisfied, so he was no longer needed. He wrestled with his obstinate lower body until everything was tucked away in its proper place. He'd take care of himself later. He'd probably have to incinerate this uniform, seeing as the outside was pumped full of red and the inside was quickly receiving a healthy coating of purple.

"Kar?" Eridan whispered, reaching up to soothe his fingers through the smaller troll's hair. "Are you feelin' better? Can you hear me?"

Karkat gave a nondescript murmur and turned his head into the touch. More coherent than he'd been, but the aftershocks still had him tight.

"Okay," he said. "Into the shower with you." He hauled Karkat over his shoulders. It…was surprisingly reminiscent of that first night he'd found him with Rohdan, wrecked by constant torture and sleep deprivation and dehydration and everything else, when Eridan had held him close and washed his wounds and gotten him patched up. Now they were dealing with a different kind of fallout.

It went about the same as the first time, he thought. He cranked the water on hot, too hot for his cold seadweller blood, and lowered Karkat into the basin. Then he washed, using a sponge and sticking his hands right into the water no matter how badly it burned his chilled skin. The material was so fresh that it came off easy, leaving Karkat limp and relaxed and purring against the rim of the trap.

Once he was clean, Eridan slipped into the familiar routine of shutting off the water, drying Karkat with a towel, and slipping him into a spare set of clothes. He planned to burn the slave uniform. The whole time he was working Karkat just watched him with a strange, floaty expression on his face. Completely blissed out, and completely unaware of the turmoil that awaited him once he regained coherency. When Eridan dumped him into the sopor, he sank in up to his eyes with a content little chitter. Completely sated.

Eridan sat heavily against the side of the recuperacoon the instant Karkat's eyes slid closed. He…wasn't sure how he felt. Just sort of sick and twisted and guilty. Something was playing at the edges of his mind, some great realization, and this time he welcomed it instead of pushing it away.

He let it wash over him. Then he picked up his handheld and called the person he was quickly realizing was the only one he could truly trust. Oh, how low he'd sunk.

_"Fishface?"_ came the familiar voice, uncharacteristically soft and full of concern. " _How's Karkat?"_

"He's fine physically," Eridan said rather dully. "For now. He…wasn't coherent for it. I won't know for sure how he is mentally until he wakes up."

He could practically feel Vriska wincing through the phone.  _"Shit, Eridan…I'm sorry. No one should have to be on either side of that situation."_

He just stared at the floor. He was still trying to comprehend it all.

_"There a reason you called me? I'm flattered that you'd come to me and all that bullshit, but I already have a moirail if you're looking for comfort."_

Eridan shook his head. Then, realizing that Vriska couldn't see him, he said, "No, that's not it. I…I need your help."

On any other day she would have laughed. In any other situation she would have teased. But as it was, she remained deadly serious.  _"Just tell me what you need me to do."_

He took a deep breath. Let it out. Steeled himself. There would be no turning back after what he was about to do.

"I need to get Kar off the flagship."

_"Really?"_ Vriska whispered.  _"Back to Alternia?"_

"It's where he belongs. I…never should have brought him here. This is my fault."

_"Yeah, it is. But you can make it right by doing exactly what you're doing now. I can have your ship ready to go for you in thirty minutes tops. Keep him safe until then, and you'll both be back on Alternia in no time."_

He closed his eyes. "I'm not goin' with him."

_"Wait, what? The fuck?"_

"I'm not," he repeated, the words sending needles of ice straight through his heart. "Vris, this is  _my_ fault. If I'd never come into his life, he would have been fine. So this time, I'm not goin' to make the same mistake. I'll send him back to Alternia alone, and he'll finally be rid of me."

_"Eridan, no."_

"Do you think I want this?" he rasped. "I  _love_ him. Even after all this.  _Especially_ after all this. But…in the end, I think it's better for him to be with Sol an' Gam. They'll treat him right. They'll help him recover from the huge mess I made of this situation."

_"Ampora—"_

"Do you really think he'll ever want to look me in the face after this? I did to him what he  _never_ wanted to happen, took him and hollowed him out and fuckin'  _broke_ him, and you expect him to want to keep my presence? He'll hate me even more for this."

_"Which is why you have to make things right! Go with him, you idiot, or at least fucking talk to him before you make the decision for him!"_

"Thirty minutes, Vris. Have the ship ready."

_"Are you really going to make the same mistake?"_

He froze. "What?"

_"You told me what happened between the two of you, Ampora, don't you forget it. You told me that you left him in the dead of night without saying goodbye, and that you regretted not waking him up every day for the rest of your miserable life. Don't make that same mistake now! Don't make Karkat go back to Alternia alone without at least talking to you about whatever clusterfuck you just created! Do you want to put him in the same position_ you _were in? Is that what you want?"_

"It's my only choice. You have to understand that."

_"No, I don't understand! I don't understand how anyone could be so dense as to think that abandoning the person they pity, even after something like this, is a good idea! God, Eridan, I knew you were a moron, but this is just—!"_

"Thirty minutes," he said again. "Don't let me down, Vris."

_"Wait—!"_

He hung up and clipped the handheld back to his belt. Behind him, Karkat dozed peacefully in the sopor. Unaware of the mess he'd just been thrust into the middle of.

_I'll at least leave him a message this time,_ Eridan thought.  _I'll record something and upload it to the ship's computer so he can listen to it when he wakes up. I'll…I'll apologize. Let him know I pity him, but this was the only way to keep him safe._

He rose and made for his computer. He had a message to record, and a matesprit to say goodbye to.

 

* * *

 

Thirty minutes later, the message having been recorded and sent to the ship's archives, Eridan Ampora got to his feet, scooped Karkat out of the sopor, and dressed him before picking him up and heading for the door. Karkat was still fast asleep, showing no signs of awakening after his traumatic ordeal, so it wouldn't be much of a problem to get him onto the ship without having him throw a fit. Vriska had messaged him earlier to let him know that the ship was programed to head right back for Alternia and land in some desolate field not far from where Sollux was based. Karkat could use the ship's com system to radio for help, and then he would be safe. He would be with Sollux, Eridan would stay with the Condesce and atone for what he'd done, and it would all be over.

A perfect plan, in which the only casualty was Eridan's heart.

But that didn't matter. All that mattered was getting Karkat to safety. So he walked, head down, moving down the strangely vacant halls towards the hangar. Vriska would be waiting for him.

When he stepped out onto the deck of the hangar, he was surprised to find that no one was there. All the normal activity was just  _gone._ Even Eiffel, who was normally skittering around delivering orders, was nowhere to be found. The only person there was Vriska.

"Fishface!" she called out when she saw him, raising a hand to call him over. His ship was docked beside her, already prepared for launch. Once Karkat was inside, one of them would just have to use the control panel from the outside to take off undetected. The ship would go straight to Alternia.

"Vris," Eridan greeted, keeping his voice low as he carried Karkat over. "Everything is prepared? You uploaded that message I sent for him?"

"It's all in there. Door's open and everything."

He sucked in a deep, harsh breath. "Okay. Good. I'll…take him inside."

He did just that. He approached his ship, soon to be  _Karkat's_ ship, and saw that indeed, the doors were already down. He carried his precious cargo straight up the ramp and into the ship he'd flown on so many missions. It was empty now save for the psionic battery located in the lower levels.

It didn't take long for Eridan to find his way up to his quarters. His ship was smaller than the flagship, obviously, with only three stories to speak of, and his rooms were on the third. He stepped out of the lift and carried Karkat there silently. Once inside, it was a simple matter of depositing the mutant down onto the raised, cushioned platform and fastening the buckles that would hold him in place while the ship took off and made the flash jump. Putting him in the sopor would be too dangerous, he knew, for the risk that he would inhale the stuff.

In no time at all, Karkat was strapped down. Completely vulnerable, limp and trusting in sleep, hair still slightly shiny from the sopor. He laid there, a light frown on his face, and Eridan pitied him more than ever. He wished he could go with him. But in the end, it just wasn't possible. He would go back to the Condesce and accept what came of his decision to let Karkat go. It was what he deserved.

But still…looking down at Karkat, he wanted nothing more than to escape.

"I pity you," he whispered, leaning down to press his lips against Karkat's. "I…know you can't hear me and all, but I really, really do. And…I hope that when you get back to Alternia, you find what you're lookin' for. Good luck, Kar."

He straightened, blinked to dispel the beginnings of tears forming in his eyes, and turned for the exit. It was time for him to go.

"So," Vriska said when he emerged. "You're really determined to do this? No convincing you to go with him?"

"Dead set on it, Vris." He walked down the ramp and stopped at the foot of it, just off the ship. "Disengage the docking ports and send the ship into deep space toward Alternia."

She eyed him, but didn't move. "You're sure? You're really willing to accept punishment by the Condesce instead of just escaping?"

"Vris, disengage the docking ports!"

There was this tense moment where she just looked at him, her expression caught between weariness and exasperation and bitter acceptance. Then, "I'm sorry."

He blinked. "What?"

"I'm sorry," she repeated. She took a step closer. "I really am, Eridan, but this is for your own good."

He had just enough time to blink, confused, before a metal fist slammed into his temple and knocked him into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Act 2.


	22. Love is Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karkat and Eridan go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In two and a half weeks I'll be out of school for the summer, and when that happens I'm going to increase posting to twice a week. Something to look forward to, I guess! Honestly I'm kind of discouraged with my writing at the moment so hopefully having the summer to work will help. Here's hoping!
> 
> This week's chapter is [Love is Here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyxKftJszJA) by Tracey Chattaway.

When Karkat finally came back to himself, the world was strangely dark and still. No blaring lights, no harsh voices, no one snapping at him to get up for  _training._  It was just… _quiet._ When he shifted, he felt nothing but a light pressure over his chest and softness beneath him.  _What…?_

He pried open his eyes with a soft groan. Where was he? When he looked around, all he saw was white and gray. Kind of blurry, actually. And his  _head…_ filled with white noise. Something had happened to him, he remembered, something bad. He just couldn't seem to recall the details. There had been warmth…warmth and pain and desperation and terror, then momentary relief as someone held him close. Who had he been with? Why was it so hard to remember?

The more he blinked, the more his vision cleared up. Soon enough he realized that he was on his back, and that the white and gray was the pattern on the ceiling. He wasn't in the cell in the lower levels anymore, that much was obvious. No…as he turned his head from side to side, he saw that he was…

Wait. What?

He knew this place. He  _knew_ it. This was Eridan's ship! This was his ship, his quarters, where he'd been kept after he was rescued from Rohdan's torture chamber. But why the hell was he  _here?_ The last thing he remembered was just drifting off to sleep in Eridan's recuperacoon after—

…After Eridan had pailed him.  _Fuck_.

That explained the ache in his nook and the absence of pain in his globes. He remembered it a little more now. He remembered Eridan holding him close, kissing his forehead, taking him with frightening gentleness. More than that, he remembered what had happened before. Not all of it, just…flashes. Rohdan leering at him from the side of the platform. Rohdan ordering him to touch himself. Rohdan using his powers on him, forcing him to feel so much more than he was ready to feel. Rohdan crouching over him and forcing him to say yes. Then Eridan, appearing and saving him from the very fate he'd resigned him to in the first place.

Eridan had saved him. Had come for him. And…Vriska had been there?

_What?_

He tried to turn over, then realized that the pressure over his chest was some kind of belt holding him down. He almost had a heart attack then and there before he turned his head and realized that the buckle was well within reach. He pressed the latches down and was released immediately. Though his muscles didn't seem as keen to get him off the platform.

It took a good minute to get himself up. When he did he saw that he really  _was_  in Eridan's ship. And judging by the way it was lurching and buzzing just slightly beneath his feet, it was  _moving._

He stretched out one limb at a time. Made sure everything was working the way it was supposed to. Once he was sure he was okay (relatively speaking, of course…he'd fucking pailed _Eridan,_ what the  _fuck)_ , he took a moment to look around. Everything was exactly where it had been the last time he'd seen it. But the door was open, leading right out into the hallway, which was strange. If someone was trying to keep him in, locked up, then why was the door open? He could walk out in no time at all.

So, that's what he did.

He crept out into the hall, looking for other trolls, but couldn't see even a hint of life. It was as if the place was just  _deserted_. Even when he went a level down, where he remembered the helm being, there wasn't a living soul in sight. He approached the door to the room containing the main control center on light feet. He ached, whole body thrumming from the abuse of the past few days, but he knew he had to stay vigilant in case there were others aboard.

There…was no one in the command room. No one at the helm. But there  _was_ a blinking light with a big silver button next to it, so…what the hell? Might as well.

Karkat pushed the button down and waited. For a moment, nothing happened. But then the audio systems crackled, fizzed a little, and a familiar voice flooded the room.

_"Kar…I don't know what to say."_

He blinked.  _Eridan? Some kind of recorded message?_

_"I just…I wish I could say I was sorry and that it would mean somethin' to you. Because I am sorry, Kar._ God  _am I sorry. I never should have dropped you in the lower levels like that. It's my fault that Rohdan got his hands on you again, and it's my fault that I had to do_ that  _to you, and I'm just generally real fuckin' sorry."_

It was a start. But dear  _lord,_ when was Eridan going to realize that—?

_"But it goes beyond that, I think."_

He froze.

_"I can say that I never should have left you with Commander Halbir, and I can say that I regret obeyin' the Condesce when she told me to do it, but that's not really all of it. The truth is, I never should have taken you off of Alternia in the first place. Beyond that, I should never have left you behind the first time, all those years ago. I…I think I've been desperate to believe that this isn't my fault, that because the Condesce orders me to do somethin' I'm immediately excused from takin' any responsibility over what happens because she fuckin'_ ordered  _me, and how am I supposed to disobey? But the truth is that it's just as much my fault for carryin' out the order as it is hers for givin' it. I think that maybe I'm the worse of the two parties, actually, for carryin' them out. Because I don't_ have _to do it. That's the truth, and you tried to tell me that, but…I guess I just wasn't ready to hear it._

_"I didn't have to abandon you. I didn't have to take you to the flagship. And I sure as hell didn't have to leave you with the handlers. That was all on me, even if there was someone behind me givin' the orders. And I'm ashamed that it took Vris yellin' at me to make me see that. So…I've made a decision. I'm sendin' you home, Kar. Sendin' you back to Alternia."_

Karkat's eyes went wide as saucers. No…was that really…?

_"You don't belong on the flagship, no matter what my ancestor's glubbin' on about, no matter what the Condesce says. You belong back on Alternia with the rebellion, fightin' for what you believe in. Hell, I think that with your leadership they might actually be able to put up a fight."_

_Leadership? What the fuck?_

_"I don't know when you'll be listenin' to this, so you could already be there, or you could only be a few hours into the journey there. It'll take two days at the speed I've set, and then you'll be landin' outside the main city. You can radio Sol for help once you get there. I've already taken care of making sure the military won't bat an eye when that ship shows up on their monitors. So…you'll be safe. And I…"_

A sigh crackled through the speakers, making Karkat wince.

_"I'm goin' to stay here. On the flagship."_

Just like that, his heart sank down to his toes.  _No, wait, why are you disappointed? He's the reason you had to go through all that bullshit, you shouldn't be sad that he's not here!_

_"I'm sorry I have to leave you again, Kar, but…I really think this is the way things have to be. I'm the reason you're in pain. I shouldn't be around to hurt you any longer. I wanted to go with you, but I just…couldn't. I have to stay here. I'll take whatever punishment the Condesce decides to dish out for lettin' you go, and maybe we'll meet again on the other side. From now on, I'm just goin' to do what I think is right. And that means gettin' you home."_  There was a pause. Then,  _"Since this is probably the last time we'll be talkin' without weapons drawn between us, I want you to know that I'll never stop pityin' you. Even if you don't believe it."_

Oh,  _fuck,_ someone needed to tell his eyes to stop watering. Why was he feeling like this?  _Why?_ Eridan had gotten him tortured, sexually assaulted,  _betrayed…_

_Because,_ a small part of his mind whispered.  _The truth is, you never stopped pitying him, either. Even when you knew he was with the Condesce destroying entire planetary systems, you stopped to think about how lonely that life must have been. Even when he was passing you off to the handlers, you never hesitated to contemplate just how pitiful he was, tears in his eyes as he left you lying on that cot. Even when the Commander was forcing you to touch that guard, you spared a thought for him and realized that even as the Vice Admiral he was being treated like garbage. You pity him, Vantas, always have. Always will. You pity him because he's such a fool. Because he kept getting you into these situations and then struggling to figure out how to undo the mess he'd caused. Because even though he could have taken advantage of you last night he held you close and gave you everything you needed. Because he's such an idiot that he can't figure out that he's not really happy with the Condesce._

_"Goodbye, Kar,"_ Eridan whispered.  _"I…hope that when you reach Alternia, Sol an' Gam are waitin' for you with open arms."_

The speaker system fizzed out, but Karkat wasn't listening anymore. He was too busy sinking to the ground and curling his arms around his knees, stricken with the sudden realization that he was still in love with Eridan Ampora. With  _Eridan,_ the pitiful bastard that had sent him on a ship to Alternia while he himself went to accept whatever punishment the Condesce decided to dish out. Death, probably. She would kill him for this.

_Fuck,_ he thought, and that was pretty much a summary of every emotion he'd felt in the past two months.  _Fuck this. Just…_ fuck _._

He shoved his face into his knees with a sniffle. He was going home. He was actually going back to Alternia, but he'd put Eridan at his back for good. It was over. Curse his ever-pitiable heart, it was really over. He was free of the Empire, at least long enough to find Sollux and warn him that the Condesce knew where his base was. They'd have to move, set up shop somewhere else, but that was insignificant when compared to the hell he had just managed to leave behind. The hell that Eridan put him in. The hell that Eridan had raised him from. He was alone for now, alone on the ship and in space, but soon—

"Ohhhh, god…my fuckin'  _head…"_

Oh.  _Oh dear lord._

Karkat jerked his head up as he heard something—some _one—_ shifting around in the back of the control chamber. He heard the unmistakable scrape of keratin against metal flooring, suggesting that the troll had just dragged their horntips across the ground, then a pitiful little groan. Oh yeah, there was no mistaking that sound.

"What the  _fuck?"_ he burst out before he could stop himself. He scrambled to his feet and stormed to the back of the room, seeking out the source of the noise. For a moment he couldn't see a thing. But then he caught a flash of royal purple from behind one of the command modules, one out of sight unless you were right next to it, and his heart did a strange little dance number in his chest.

"Fuckin'  _hurts,"_ blubbered the troll curled up behind the module. "The fuck happened?"

Karkat stared down in disbelief.  _"Eridan?"_

Eridan Ampora blinked up at him, dazed, one hand over his left temple while the other clutched at the base of his right horn. It looked like he'd suffered quite a nasty tumble. "K-Kar?" he rasped.

"Oh my god," he said. "Eridan, what the fuck are you doing in here?"

Eridan just blinked again, then again, clearly struggling to regain his head. "Kar," he said, slowly. "Ah…where is here, exactly?"

"It's your  _ship,_ you dunce! We're on your ship, traveling at light speed towards Alternia, and you told me you were staying on the flagship!"

He went visibly stiff. "My ship? Right now? Goin' towards Alternia?"

_"Yes!"_

Eridan stared. "Oh." Then,  _"Oh._ Oh, fuck, this is…"

"What the actual fuck happened?" Karkat demanded. "That recorded message you left told me that you were staying on the flagship to accept  _punishment,_ so why are you here? Did you knock a screw loose or some shit? Did you just randomly fall into your own ship, knock yourself unconscious, and then somehow manage to order the ship to take off while you weren't even conscious? Are you that insane? Is  _anyone_ that insane?"

Eridan shifted a little, then winced when the movement no doubt made his head spin. That looked like a nasty bruise across the side of his face. "Vris," he managed, but that was about it.

"Vriska? What the fuck does she have to do with anything?"

He tried to move again. It went about as well as the first time. "Traitorous little wretch…she knocked me out and threw me in here with you, then made the ship take off remotely. There's no turnin' back now, that's for sure. I'm sure she's already let the Condesce know that I'm gone. Played it up to make herself look like a fuckin' hero, no doubt."

He gaped, incredulous. "No fucking way. Vriska Serket, captain of her own wing of the Imperial Fleet, knocked you out and sent you back to Alternia with me, someone who was  _supposed_  to be a prisoner. She betrayed the Empire."

"I, ah, think she might actually support the rebellion."

Of course. Of fucking course. He should have known, what with Vriska's adoration of her ancestor. It made sense she'd want to follow in her footsteps and help the rebellion, but he had to admit he'd thought that she'd fully dedicated herself to serving the Empire. It kinda fit her profile. Apparently he'd been wrong. "Fantastic.  _So_ fucking fantastic. So the both of us are going back to Alternia together, reunited at last without chains and prison cells and torture devices! We'll get to Alternia, and then—what? You go to the on-world military and let them know what happened, ask for passage back to the flagship? I run off and join Sollux?"

"I…think we're a bit past that point, Kar."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, think about it. If Vris is tryin' to help the rebellion, she'd make sure I had no other choice but to join you and help out. To do that, she'd have to make sure that there was no chance I could return, which would mean that she'd have to go to the Condesce and basically tell her that I betrayed the Empire by escapin' with you. That would mean that even if I tried to return, I'd be either killed or shunned, and I'd have no choice but to come back here and join up with the rebels. I'm assumin' that Vris is goin' to use this opportunity to get in good with the Condesce, too, which'll make her all the more valuable if she's really intendin' on blastin' the Empire into pieces."

"Just as manipulative as she's ever been, then."

"Just about, yeah. It's just for a better cause now."

Karkat groaned, dropping his head into his hands. "Fine. You know what?  _Fine_. The two of us will go back to Alternia together. And then you'll join the rebellion with me, and Sollux will  _definitely_ trust you, and we'll defeat the Empress together and live happily ever after. It'll be the perfect fairy tale ending!"

"Kar, what…?"

"I don't want to join the rebellion."

Eridan's gaze snapped up to him, stunned. "What?" he breathed.

"I never wanted to join it in the first place! And now that I've been through all this shit with the Empire, I only see more and more how impossible it is to win. I just want to go back and beg Sollux to stop fighting, then find some place to hide out for the rest of my miserable life. I'm not interested in fighting battles I know I can't win—isn't that how you put it?"

"Kar…"

"I'm tired of pain, Eridan. I just want to go home."

Eridan's features twisted painfully. "W-what about the slaves?" he rasped, low and gravelly. "The lowbloods. The subjugated planetary systems. The innocent people. What about them?"

A flash of anger seared through him, and he snarled, "Don't you  _dare_ try to act like you care! You  _never_  cared, not enough to do anything to stop it, so you have no right to criticize me about—!"

"Kar, you're a better person than I am."

He paused. "What?"

"You're a better person," Eridan repeated. "A better troll. You always have been. Even before we got into the game, you were always lookin' out for everybody else. You were gentle, despite your sharp tongue, which is why I was drawn to you in the first place."

"What's the point of this?" he rasped. "None of that matters now."

"Yes, it does _._ You're a better person than I am, Kar, which is why I know you're not goin' to leave those innocent trolls behind."

His chest constricted. All those slaves…the innocent lowbloods…even the highbloods that been sucked into the Condesce's grasp against their will. They didn't deserve the hand they'd been dealt. And those that were with the Condesce, beating innocents down and conquering planetary systems—they deserved something much worse than death.

"We'll go to Sol together," Eridan continued gently. "He won't accept me, but you might be able to convince him I'm not there to hurt anyone."

"You're really done with the Empire?" Karkat asked. He wanted to believe it was true, but…

Eridan raised his chin. "The Condesce is behind me now. And I'm adoptin' a strict policy of not lookin' back."

For a long moment, Karkat just stared. He was waiting for Eridan to laugh, to tell him that he'd been joking about leaving the Empire, that it was all some cruel cosmic prank. He was waiting to be betrayed again, because that was how he'd lived his life for the nearly four sweeps Eridan had been gone. In constant fear of betrayal. But the longer he looked, the longer Eridan refused to take it back, the more he began to think that maybe, just maybe, the Empire really was behind them.

"I'm not leavin'," Eridan said, as if he knew that Karkat needed further reassurance. "Sol can kill me if he likes; I have nowhere I'd rather be than with you."

There would have been more, but Karkat had heard enough. He lurched forward, nearly tipping over in the process, and crushed himself to Eridan for a suffocating hug.

"Kar?" the seadweller murmured, raising a hand to comb through his hair. "Are you…?"

"Perfect," was the soft response. "I'm perfect, Eridan. Welcome back."

He wasn't so much of a fool as to think that this would fix all their problems. Eridan was still responsible for nearly two months of torture, of anguish, of heartache, and it was possible he'd never be able to atone for that. But now, soaring towards Alternia together, he thought that that was a battle for another time.

"Can you sit up?" Karkat asked. "You probably shouldn't keep sleeping on the ground."

Eridan tried, then groaned as the movement jostled his head. "Ah…no, my head's pretty messed up. Vris hit me with everythin' she had, and I'm pretty sure I cracked a horn on the way down."

Karkat removed Eridan's fingers from the base of his right horn to check it out for himself. "It's a hairline fracture. It'll heal in a week if we get it covered."

"Great," was the pained response. "Kar, can you…?"

Immediately Karkat slid one of Eridan's arms around his shoulders and guided him to sit up. It was a slow, agonizing process—Eridan really was hurt, and couldn't move more than a little without closing his eyes and trying not to throw up—but eventually Karkat managed to get him on his feet and stagger back to the bathroom where the medical supplies were located. It was strange, taking care of Eridan after having experienced the reverse so many times.

Karkat settled the seadweller down on the closed lid of the toilet and made sure he was secure before looking for the right supplies. Eridan ended up slumped there, struggling not to lean his head back and scrape the wall with his horns, until Karkat finally got his hands on what he needed.

"Look at me," he instructed, holding up a penlight. "Hmm…I think you have a concussion."

"That w-would explain the ringin' in my ears."

"Slurring, too." Karkat turned off the light and stuck it on the counter. "I think you're supposed to just wait for that to go away, right? I don't think it's bad, so…maybe a few days?"

Eridan shrugged blearily. "I'll sleep it off while we fly to Alternia."

"Right." He reached for the stiff bandages that were specifically made to treat horn injuries. They went on wet, plastered themselves tight to the fracture, and dried hard until it was time to remove them. Karkat ran one bandage under the faucet and got it damp. "Hand away from your horn, Ampora."

"But Kar, it hurts!"

"I  _know_ it hurts, you blithering imbecile, which is why I'm bandaging it! Now hands off, or I'll knock you out and make your concussion even worse than it already is!"

That did the trick, at least. Eridan dropped his hands with a pout and let Karkat get at the fracture, which was a span barely the length of his middle claw running down the base of the keratin. The bandage was on in a heartbeat, dried a minute later, and then it was over.

"There," Karkat grumped, "was that so bad?"

Eridan just groaned at him weakly.

"Okay, to bed with you! You need rest, you said it yourself, and that concussion isn't going to get better from you sitting there staring at me!"

"But what about  _you?"_

"What  _about_ me?"

Eridan pursed his lips, thinking hard. "You…you were hurt. From last night. Are you okay?"

He stiffened. He… _really_ didn't want to think about last night yet. It was something he'd have to go to his moirail about, something he'd have to work out of his systems in increments until he could just pretend it hadn't happened. Right now, though, he was just going to push it further and further down while he dealt with the situation. "I'm fine, Eridan. Here, let me help you up." He hooked an arm beneath Eridan's shoulders and hauled him up. The recuperacoon was just outside.

"Are you sure you don't need to talk?" Eridan asked sleepily as Karkat hoisted him into the sopor. "Somethin' like that…it stays with you."

He knew. Oh, did he know.

"Sleep, you idiot," he ordered. "I'll get in when I'm ready, but I think I need to stay awake for a while."

If he'd been more coherent, Eridan probably would have argued with that. But as it was he just nodded, eyelids drooping, and let himself sink back into the slime.

In half a second he was out, and Karkat was left alone to his thoughts.

 

* * *

 

_There it is. There's Alternia._

Karkat stared out the viewport in awe, watching as the dark planet drew nearer and nearer. He could hardly believe it, but there it was. They hadn't been intercepted by the flagship, and from the looks of it they were just going to get to land without incident. They were definitely close enough to be on the radar, but no one had come to greet them. That was a good sign.

_Sollux and Gamzee are down there,_ he thought.  _They have no idea I'm coming back, and I won't be able to contact them until we land. What will they do when they see me? When they see Eridan?_

He didn't want to think about what would happen when Sollux saw Eridan again. There would probably be a fight, or at least a little bit of a scuffle as Sollux tried to take revenge. No matter what Karkat said, the psionic wouldn't hesitate to tear Eridan's head off if he could. He could only hope that he would listen to reason and understand that if he wanted to build support for the rebellion, he would need Eridan alive and on his side.

He checked the navigations system. Only a few minutes until they entered the planet's atmosphere, and then a few minutes after that until they were able to land and send out a distress signal.

Beside him, Eridan reached for the buckle on his seat. "You too, Kar," he said. He'd woken up a few hours ago, looking slightly better but still a little hazy from where Vriska had punched him. "It's not safe to land without being strapped in."

He obeyed wordlessly. He was too busy staring at Alternia to really think about what he was doing as he threaded the buckle through about eight different loops to keep himself secure.

_Entering the atmosphere in three, two…_

Karkat winced as the entire ship jolted, tearing into Alternia's atmosphere and careening towards the ground. The thrusters would catch them, he  _knew_ they would, but it was still unnerving to watch the ground zoom towards them. They were landing in the middle of some remote field, not too far from the city, so with any luck Sollux and Gamzee would be there within the hour once he got a message out.

"We're almost home," Eridan whispered from the seat beside him. "God, Kar…I never thought I'd be back home like this."

"I'm surprised you still consider this your home."

Eridan smiled at him, that dopey little grin that made Karkat's heart flutter. "Would it be too cheesy of me to say that  _you_  were my home?"

He flushed. "Shut up!"

Eridan laughed, then turned his attention back to the viewing port. "Looks like we'll touch down in a moment."

He was right. The ship jostled, the landscape coming into focus as they neared the ground, and Karkat felt the vessel rumble as the thrusters flared even harder and the landing gear slid out. One last jolt, a smaller tremor, and then they were on solid ground.

Karkat's fingers shook. Actually, his entire  _body_ shook as he reached for the equipment that would let him communicate with Sollux. This was  _real._ This was  _happening._ Eridan had helped him escape, and now they were going home together.

"You know how to contact them?"

He nodded. "Sollux always keeps an eye on one specific frequency. It's the one we always used to communicate, and no one else uses it, so hopefully he's still watching." He fiddled with the dials. He'd used one of these coms systems once before, but it had been a while. It took a few minutes to tap into the right frequency and put out the call.

Then, there was silence. For several minutes the two of them just sat there as the radio fizzed in and out, waiting for Sollux to pick up on the broadcast and contact them.

_"Hello? Is someone there?"_

A voice, but not Sollux. Karkat frowned. "Who is this?"

_"Who is_ this? _You're the one that contacted us, so I really don't think you're in a position of leverage, friend."_

He groaned. This was the absolute  _last_ thing he needed. "Look, can you just tell me if there's someone called Sollux Captor around?"

_"Why are you looking for him?"_ The voice had gone cold, suspicious.

Something clicked in Karkat's head, and he thought,  _this must be a member of the rebellion. Sollux must have extended this channel to be monitored by other members of his little crew now he thinks I'm gone for good._ "I know you're a part of the rebellion," he said. "It's okay. I am too."

A pause. Then,  _"Why are you looking for Sollux?"_

"Look, can you just give him a message for me? Like, right fucking now?"

_"Fine. What is it?"_

"Tell him that Karkat Vantas is waiting for him at the coordinates I'm sending you right now. Tell him quick, he'll want to be here pretty much immediately." He clicked a few buttons and sent the coordinates over.

Apparently the rebel on the line wasn't done, though.  _"Holy shit. You're alive?"_

Okay, then. It was only a little bit disturbing that apparently all of Sollux's rebels knew who he was. "Not for long if the military comes to investigate my craft before Sollux gets his skinny ass out here. Now are you going to deliver the message or not?"

_"Yes, um, right away! He'll be there soon."_

The line went dead.

"Now what?" Eridan asked. He looked nervous, bags under his eyes, hands shaking just a little.

Karkat reached over wordlessly. Sealed his fingertips around Eridan's. "Now we wait. And when Sollux shows up, you stay in here while I do the talking. Think you can handle that?"

The tension bled out of him just a little. "Yeah, Kar," he whispered. "I can do that."

 

* * *

 

"We'll continue on as we've been doing things for the past week," Sollux said to the surrounding trolls, jabbing a finger at the map of the Alternian city spread out over the table. "Keep taking minor warehouses and gaining attention, hopefully get some new recruits that way. Synlan, you said we were up to three hundred the last time you counted?"

The newly recovered Synlan offered him a bright smile. "Yep! Three hundred and gaining daily. We're actually amassing quite a little army! We have operatives all over the city now. I think it might be a good idea to set up some kind of place for all of them to live together, actually, if you're willing to put the resources into it. It would be good for everyone to mingle and get to know each other, that way they're not just strangers on the battlefield."

"I'll talk to Ladcai about getting something like that started," Sollux said. "Until then, why don't you contact as many of them as we can hold and get them living here? This place is already huge, and you guys are here more often than not, so I don't see why we can't take in a few more."

Synlan nodded. "Ladcai's on the coms right now, but I'll bring it up if I see him before you do."

"Good." Sollux turned back towards the map. "I want to keep taking trolls from the military. AA, you're on that. Be discreet, but if you can figure out who sympathizes with us then we might be able to get a good handle on the on-world military."

She nodded. "I can do that."

"TV, you have it easy. Your one job is to keep down the clown."

Gamzee chuckled, long and languid. "Won't be having much of a motherfucking problem with that, Solbro."

"Make sure it stays that way." He looked up at Hearla. "You're small and unassuming, so your job hasn't changed. Run surveillance on the military base, on the factories we're hoping to capture, everything."

"Yes sir."

Sollux turned to Farlan. "You're with me. Maybe together we can figure out how to house all these incoming recruits, and maybe even how to reprogram that drone. You're decent with machines, yeah?"

"I'm not bad with them."

"Perfect." Well actually, perfect would have been having Equius—but there would be no hope of convincing the casteist blueblood to go against the Empire. "You're dismissed, then, all of you. We'll reconvene as soon as—"

"Sollux! Solcandy, bro, you gotta hear this!"

Only one person would be calling him by that ridiculous nickname. Sollux turned, half rolling his eyes already, and ground out, "Ladcai…" Then he stopped. The troll's face was flushed, as if he'd sprinted all the way from the lab up to the room in Sollux's house where the meeting was taking place.

"Sollux," Ladcai repeated, eyes wide. "You're not gonna believe who I just got a transmission from."

"Who is it?"

"Dude…it's your kismesis."

Immediately, he froze. "No it's not."

"Yes it is, man! It's Karkat! He's on Alternia; he broadcast some coordinates and asked for a rescue!"

"That's impossible," he rasped, because it  _was_. Karkat had been taken by the Empire. He'd been with them in deep space, how the hell could he possibly have managed to escape? Unless…

"Can you get him back on the line?" Sollux asked sharply. "If this is a trap, I'm sure he can give me some indication."

"I really don't think it's a trap," Ladcai said. "I ran a scan of the location they're in, and I'm not seeing anything that indicates the presence of more than one person. Karkat's showing up on the thermal scans, but that's it. No one's around him for miles."

"They could be waiting in the sky."

"Radar says that one's a no, too."

"Then…something else! It has to be a trap! There's no fucking way that KK just—"

"Up and show a little faith in a brother, would you?" Gamzee said. "It's a motherfucking miracle if he's back, and we shouldn't be wasting all kinds of time in sitting around motherfucking arguing. Am I right, Tavbro?"

Tavros nodded eagerly. "If Karkat's home, we need to go get him!"

"But what if it's a trap?" Sollux asked helplessly. "We can't just…I mean, there's no way he's…"

Aradia papped him on the cheek. "Sollux. If it were a trap, Ladcai would be picking up some kind of squadron on the radar. He's not, so it isn't."

"B-but, KK is—!"

"Waiting for you. So  _go get him."_

No. Absolutely not. He wouldn't let himself believe it. But with the way Ladcai was looking at him…the way Aradia was giving him this soft, loving look…could it be true? Could Karkat be here, back on Alternia? Could he have managed to escape?

"If anyone could up and escape from the motherfucking flagship, it'd be Karbro," Gamzee threw in, and Sollux was gone.

"AA, TV, GZ, all of you are with me. We're going to check it out. Just…let's not get our hopes up." It was too late, though. He was already hoping, already lost, already desperate to see Karkat again. It had been two months, and he missed him dearly.

He received three nods in response. "We're right behind you, Sollux," Aradia assured him.

He turned. One breath in, one breath out. Hold. Repeat. He could do this.

He could find Karkat. He could bring him home.

As it turned out, Karkat was close. Sollux got the coordinates from Ladcai in a snap, saw that he was a few miles out from the edge of the city, and immediately ducked into the tunnels. There was one that would spit him out next to Hearla's house, which was a short distance from where Karkat was supposedly waiting. They moved quickly. Sollux led his friends through the winding passage, up and down slopes in the earth, and it didn't take more than thirty minutes before they were emerging outside the Alternian city.

There, across the plains, was a ship.

"Is that…?" Tavros asked, brow furrowed.

"That's a military vessel," Aradia whispered. "It's…oh, goodness, that's Eridan's ship!"

"Well, um, it would make sense that he got back here on, the same ship that he came in."

"Keep your guard up," Sollux murmured. He let psionic energy crackle up the base of his spine, twine around his horns, gather at his fingertips. "If it's Eridan's ship, his crew might still be inside—even if Ladcai's scanners say otherwise. We have to be careful."

That was how they approached, then. Carefully. They could see no one around the ship, no signs of life from within. It was just  _sitting_ there, landing gear looking a little worse for wear, doors locked up tight. That is, until suddenly they weren't, and the ramp extended to meet the ground in one quick whoosh.

"Steady," Sollux growled. The other three stopped at once, each readying themselves in case something were to happen.

Then, something did.

A figure appeared at the mouth of the ship. They were still far away, so Sollux couldn't quite make out who it was (and he was still trying to stop himself from believing that Karkat was okay, that way he wouldn't be disappointed when it turned out to be a lie). They were short, he could see that at the very least. Short, scruffy hair, and tiny, nubby horns.

_Could it be…?_

Sollux was flying closer before he could stop himself and really think about how idiotic he was being. If it was an ambush, if Karkat was just being used to lure him in… But he wasn't thinking about that. And the instant he saw his kismesis, standing at the foot of the ramp and looking out at him in surprise, he completely lost control.

He left the others in the dust. He blasted towards Karkat with his psionics, nearly snapping his own neck in the process in the frantic snap of power, and then he was  _there._

Sollux drew to a halt a good five feet from Karkat. He didn't want to touch him and find out that it was just a figment of his mind, something he was imagining to cope with how miserable his kismesis' disappearance had made him. Karkat, likewise, seemed stunned.

"KK?" Sollux rasped. "Are you…real?"

Karkat stared at him, eyes wide. "Y-yeah…yeah, Captor, I'm back. I'm right here."

His mind went a little hazy. He had just enough time to think,  _oh, good,_ before suddenly he was falling forward and Karkat was lurching to catch him, doing a faceplant right into his chest and clinging hard. "Oh god," he choked out, just as Karkat started up this soft, throbbing hum from low in his chest. And that was a  _pale_ sound, what the  _fuck,_ but he didn't care in the least as he used Karkat's shoulders to drag himself up and crush their lips together.

It was hardly black. It was a strange mishmash of red and pale, if anything, spilling from his body to Karkat's, and he couldn't bring himself to care that he was vacillating on him just for this moment. He could hate him later. Now, he just wanted to comfort Karkat, and for Karkat to comfort him.

Karkat seemed to understand. He kissed back, fierce and reassuring all at once, hands twisting tight in the back of Sollux's shirt. "It's okay," he mumbled against his lips, breaking away just long enough to speak before pressing back in. "Shit, Sollux…"

"Karbro!"

Karkat pulled back as the rest of the group approached, then practically threw himself into Gamzee's arms. " _Gamzee,"_ he whimpered like a prayer. "Fuck, this is…" He pressed the top of his head up under Gamzee's chin with a content little chitter. "I never thought I'd see you again."

Gamzee patted his cheeks, rubbed a thumb over his right horn with a chuckle. "Motherfucking missed you, palebro. So good to have you up and in my arms again."

Karkat purred out an agreement. He looked smaller than he remembered. Haunted, almost. Like something had sunk its claws into his ankles and yanked until he sunk just a little bit into the ground. And that wasn't all. Despite the fact that he was tucked away in Gamzee's arms, Sollux was beginning to notice that there were bruises and slices all over the mutant's body. Like…someone had just taken a knife to him and  _carved_.

"KK?" he said, catching his kismesis' attention. "Are you okay? What happened to you?"

Karkat winced. "I'm…not really okay. But I'm fucking  _alive,_ and that's more than I'd hoped for at this point."

"What happened?" he repeated. "How did you get here? Where were you?"

"I was on the flagship."

Sollux's eyes went wide. "What? You were on the fucking flagship? Like, with the Condesce?"

Karkat gave a tiny nod. "Yeah," he rasped. "She wanted to figure out where your base was located, who you were…just to find out everything she could about the rebellion. She had me brought there and…" He shuddered. "Well. I don't want to fucking talk about it. All you need to know is that the Condesce knows where you live. You have to move."

_You told her?_ he almost burst out, furious, before he remembered the hell Karkat had obviously been through. If those fading injuries had anything to say about the matter, he hadn't had much of a choice but to tell the truth. It was a miracle he'd  _survived_ ; he should just be happy that he'd managed to get away.

"We'll move then," Sollux said, trying to make it sound like it wasn't a big deal. "We were thinking of upgrading to a larger base anyways."

Karkat eyed him. "You're not disappointed?"

"KK, I don't even want to know what you had to go through before you let yourself give that information up. I'm more disappointed that you didn't kick their asses and escape sooner."

"How did you manage that?" Aradia broke in. She drifted forward, Tavros at her heels. "You were on the  _flagship_ , Karkat. I've never known any prisoner to journey there and return."

"About that…" Karkat turned and glanced towards the entrance to the ship. "I had a little help."

"Oh, who…?" Then he looked up, saw a flash of purple, and his world faded to static for a split second. When everything clicked back into place, Eridan was sprawled out on his back under him, gasping for breath. "Oh," Sollux snarled, "you'd better have a fucking  _amazing_ explanation for this one."

"Sollux, don't!" Karkat yelped. "He's the reason I'm alive!"

"He's also the reason you got captured in the first place! Despite what you seem to believe, freeing you from the hell he delivered you to doesn't excuse him from what he did!"

"No," Karkat agreed, "it  _doesn't_. But what it  _does_ do is entitle him to at least the beginnings of a second chance!"

"His second chance came and went when he found you here and decided to deliver you to the Condesce."

Karkat groaned, smacking his head into his hands. "Oh my god, all of my quadrants are occupied by maniacs. Sollux, you bifurcated fuckbrain, you  _need_ him alive if you want to help this ridiculous gathering of idiots you call a rebellion!"

"You have one minute, KK. Explain."

"He's here to help us!" was the biting response. "He betrayed the Condesce in helping me escape, and now he's here to fight with us!"

"Yeah right," Sollux sneered. "The Vice Admiral betraying the Condesce? That's absurd."

"I'm not the Vice Admiral," Eridan choked from beneath him. "Not anymore."

"What?" Aradia burst out. "We've received no word of a change in position!"

"Just watch," Eridan said sulkily. "You'll get the word any moment now. I'm sure Rohdan will be just  _itching_ to take my place now that I'm gone."

Sollux looked to Aradia. "The instant you get that message, I want to hear about it."

She nodded. "Yes, of course. It will be interesting to hear the Empire's take on the situation."

Karkat groaned again. "Will you idiots just fucking  _listen_ to me for a second? He's not going to hurt you! If I thought there was the slightest chance he was going to lay a hand on  _anyone_ I care about, I would have slaughtered him while he slept during the journey here."

He…had a point there, at least. But still. "How do we know it's not an act? How do we know he's not waiting for the right time to stab all of us in the back and return to the Condesce?"

Eridan rumbled out an indignant sound, but Karkat was already talking over him. "I know this may seem like a foreign concept to you, but I actually trust him!"

"Trust  _him?_ The guy that got you captured?"

"Trust, yes. Forgive…not so much.

"Aww, Kar, I said I was—"

"Shut up!" Karkat snapped. "We'll talk about that later." He turned his gaze back to Sollux, saying, "You need him."

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"Because he's the Vice Admiral, and he's just turned against the Condesce! Can you imagine the publicity if he comes out and says that to the populous? People would actually start to  _genuinely_  fucking question the legitimacy of the Condesce's rule. Your numbers would grow tenfold overnight, and then  _maybe_ you'd have a chance to free all the pitiful fucks caught under the Condesce's thumb. All the slaves and lowbloods and even some of the highbloods, flocking to you because Eridan has your back."

"He wasn't exactly a well-loved Vice Admiral," he pointed out.

"It doesn't matter. He was still the Vice Admiral."

"And  _he's_  the descendent of the Signless," Eridan put in helpfully. "If you put him in front of a crowd and have him flash his blood color around, you'll gain so much support you won't know what to do with 'em all. The Sufferer's cult is still around, you know. They'll support you."

That…was eerily reminiscent of what the Helmsman had said to him in that dream. Had Eridan been visited by his ancestor as well? But then, why was he here instead of serving the Condesce?

_Maybe…Dualscar told him to serve his Empress. And if he told him that, then it's possible that he's decided to serve Feferi. The Condesce of the dancestors, and the tyrian that he's_ supposed _to be serving. Maybe that's why he's here. But that doesn't mean I'm going to trust him just like that._

"Just let him up," Karkat snapped. "He doesn't mean us harm."

He looked down at Eridan, contemplating.

"Sol," Eridan said, "he's tellin' the truth. I'm not goin' to try and usurp you or anythin', I'm just here for Kar."

"Oh, and I suppose you're just going to do whatever he says?"

"Without question."

"Fine, then. Prove it to me." He looked to Karkat. "Make him kneel, then we'll talk."

Karkat's eyes flashed with a mixture of fury and panic. "He's not a  _slave._ "

"Wha—?"

"He's not a slave," Karkat repeated, voice just a little too panicky. "He's  _not._  He got away from that,  _I_ got away from that, we're not here to fall right back into it!"

Sollux opened his mouth, stunned, but Eridan spoke before he had a chance to ask what was going on. "No, Kar," the seadweller murmured. "It's okay." He removed himself out from under Sollux with deliberate slowness, then propped himself up on one knee. One fist sank to the ground, the other balancing over his heart, and then he was still. "Do what you will, Sol. Lock me up, make sure I'm always chained, put a squadron of guards on me. I don't care."

"If the Vice Admiral would betray the Admiral so quickly, how do we know you won't do the same to us?"

"Because you have Kar. And I'm not leavin' him again. I had my chance to make things right with the Condesce, and I won't lie—I tried. I wasn't supposed to come here with Kar. I was supposed to stay and accept the consequences of lettin' him go. But Vris ended up knockin' me out, so here I am, and I think it's pretty clear that fate has decided which side I'm goin' to be fightin' for."

"VK?" Sollux echoed.

"Oh yeah," Karkat snorted, "that's the other thing. I'm pretty sure Serket is out of her fucking mind. Wants to  _help_  us."

He blinked. "Are we talking about the same person, KK?"

"I'm just as surprised as you, believe me."

Sollux looked down at Eridan, who was still staring determinedly at the ground, cape falling around him regally. "VK is a traitor to the Empire?"

Eridan just shook his head. "I had no idea either. Didn't know until she found Kar and wanted to help him escape. She's used my bein' sent here to get in good with the Condesce, so we'll have someone on the inside. Like,  _super_ on the inside. She can help you. I think Ter might be in on it too."

_Terezi. Vriska._ Now,  _those_ were names he hadn't heard in a while. Kanaya had told him that she'd be contacting them, but he'd never heard back. If they were willing to fight against the Empire from the inside…

Karkat cleared his throat. "As much as I'd love to sit here and play host to even more of this fucking  _ridiculous_  pissing contest, can we get somewhere safe? We're way too exposed out here, and I'll die before the Empire manages to capture me again."

Sollux frowned. There was that ghost again, the flicker of haunted pain taking Karkat's features and twisting them. That was something he'd have to talk to him about later. "What about ED?" he demanded. "What do you expect me to do with him?"

Eridan raised his head. "Lock me up."

_"What?"_  Karkat and Sollux snapped at the same time.

"Lock me up," Eridan repeated determinedly. "Sol, I know you don't trust me. And Kar, you need time to deal with your quadrants. So lock me up. Throw me in a room, lock the door, and you can get me when you're ready to deal with the next step of this rebellion. Will that work?"

Sollux looked to Karkat. "KK? It's your call."

He looked conflicted. "Eridan…are you sure?"

"You spent two months locked up in a cell because of me. It's only fair."

"Well…okay, if you're sure." Karkat gave him this soft, affectionate look, and Sollux was struck with the sudden realization that he still pitied the wreck of a seadweller kneeling not ten feet away. Karkat, idiot that he was, was still in love with the troll that had gotten him captured, tortured, and god knew what else. What sick, twisted form of Stockholm Syndrome was this? What had happened that had made Karkat continue to trust Eridan so deeply?

Eridan got to his feet. Held out his wrists. "Well?"

Sollux had a pair of cuffs on the seadweller before he could even blink. "AA, TV, take this sack of shit and lock him up somewhere in the lab. Put a couple of guards on him constantly."

Tavros and Aradia nodded together. Then they were moving forward and taking Eridan by one arm each, backing him up until he was a good distance away.

"So what about the ship?" Karkat asked. "We could use it."

Sollux waved a hand. "I'll take care of it. One of our captured warehouses is near here, so I'll just fly it low to the ground and use the building as a makeshift hangar."

"Think you can handle the controls?"

"I'll make do. You should go with GZ. I'm sure the two of you have a lot to talk about."

"Hell yeah we do," Gamzee purred, nuzzling Karkat's cheek. "I won't give him back until he's all kinds of relaxed, Solbro, don't you worry none."

Karkat didn't even protest. He just leaned into the gentle touch, a rusty purr starting up in his throat like he hadn't managed to make the sound in months. Those two were going to have a long, intense piling session, that was for sure.

"Get out of here," Sollux ordered. "I'm going to handle the ship."

They turned, and Sollux watched as the lot of them walked off. Karkat greeted Aradia and Tavros as they went, an arm around Gamzee's waist, a hand on Eridan's arm. He looked haunted, yes, but like the ghosts of his encounters aboard the flagship had the potential to fade.

After they disappeared, it was time to deal with the ship.

He entered the thing and closed the door behind him. It was quiet and dark. Deserted. The further he went the colder it got.

He reached the control room in no time at all, and made himself at home poking around the controls. He'd played a thousand simulators online for this kind of thing, and had studied them extensively through diagrams provided to him by Aradia, so he knew what he was doing to a certain extent. He radioed ahead to the warehouse and ordered them to open the doors for him, then he fired up the engine and initiated takeoff. It was a little choppy, but he got the hang of it soon enough. He piloted the thing towards the warehouse. The ship was fast—it only took him a few minutes to get there.

He landed the ship in the warehouse and let the engine die.  _It's strange,_ he thought,  _piloting like this when I should have ended up hooked into the helm._

Then he froze. The helm.  _God,_ he was such an  _idiot—_ this was an Empire ship, so there had to be a helmsman. Which meant that there was a psionic somewhere, just like him, strung up in the bowels of the ship.

He was moving before he even realized he'd stood up. He found the lift outside the command room, punched in the button that would take him to the engine room, and waited for the doors to slide open.

When they did, he was met with a sight that shook him to the bone.

There was a helmsman. Of  _course_ there was, he'd  _known_ there was, but seeing and knowing were two different things. The poor troll was strung up like a puppet, arms consumed by a mixture of biological mush and wires, entire lower body swallowed up in the stuff as well. His eyes were closed.

_Is he still alive?_ Sollux wondered, then got his answer when he saw the soft rise and fall of the psionic's chest.  _Okay, then. I guess the bigger question is whether or not I can save him._

_If you save him the ship will be nonoperational,_ something whispered in the back of his head.  _You rip him out of there and you're essentially gutting the ship. It'll need another battery._

He knew all of that. But in that moment, he didn't care. There was a fellow psionic there, one that had been beaten down and subjugated by the Empire, and it was his job to save him.

Sollux reached for his arms and tugged at some of the wires. From everything he'd read, the connection between battery and ship wasn't incredibly hard or dangerous to break. He could just yank the guy out and he'd be fine, assuming he hadn't been at the helm for too long to function away from it. He tugged at some of the wires until they gave with a sick, wet sound. Then more and more, until most of the things had been wrenched from the organic mush encasing the psionic's arms and lower body.

"Hold on," Sollux muttered, though he knew the psionic couldn't hear. "Just let me…" He yanked on one last wire, then jumped as the speaker system flared to life.

_"Kar,"_ a familiar voice crackled,  _"I don't know what to say."_

He frowned.  _Eridan?_

_"I just…I wish I could say I was sorry and that it would mean somethin' to you. Because I am sorry, Kar._ God  _am I sorry. I never should have dropped you in the lower levels like that. It's my fault that Rohdan got his hands on you again, and it's my fault that I had to do_ that  _to you, and I'm just generally real fuckin' sorry."_

Oh yeah, that was Eridan. A recorded message, probably meant for Karkat.  _Whatever._ He returned to yanking the wires out of the psionic's legs, then began gently tugging on the goop keeping his arms in place. It was thick and slimy. Like sopor, but organic. Eridan droned in the background.

_"You don't belong on the flagship, no matter what my ancestor's glubbin' on about, no matter what the Condesce says. You belong back on Alternia with the rebellion, fightin' for what you believe in. Hell, I think that with your leadership they might actually be able to put up a fight."_

One of the psionic's arms flopped down onto Sollux's shoulders. He started tugging at the other.

_"I'm goin' to stay here. On the flagship."_

The other arm came free, and then Sollux had to support the other psionic's entire upper body to stop him from flopping over. He got to work slopping away the goop covering his legs.

_"Since this is probably the last time we'll be talkin' without weapons drawn between us, I want you to know that I'll never stop pityin' you. Even if you don't believe it."_

One leg came free.

_"Goodbye, Kar. I…hope that when you reach Alternia, Sol an' Gam are waitin' for you with open arms."_

He slammed a fist into the ground, psionics crackling around him with a roar.  _"Fuck!"_

The message fizzed out. Eridan was done talking.

Shaking, Sollux barely managed to stop himself from accidentally hurting the psionic slumped against him. He just…he was so  _angry,_ so furious with Eridan for causing this whole mess and then trying to play it off like he'd pitied Karkat all along. He was angrier than he'd realized, even, and the sheer force of it was terrifying him to the point where he was afraid he'd jeopardize what he had with Karkat.

_I can't afford to wax caliginous for ED,_ he told himself.  _Not even for a moment. KK needs me, and besides, if I went black for ED, it would only last a month before the anger faded and I'd want to go right back to KK. It would ruin everything._

He shook his head. That wasn't important right now. Right now, he just had to make sure the ship's battery was alive.

The instant Sollux yanked the psionic's last leg free, a blinding pulse of orange energy filled the room. Not brown, but an unnatural shade of fluorescent tangerine. Strange color for a psionic, but he wasn't one to talk.

"Hey," Sollux murmured, taking the full weight of the psionic as he slid the two of them to the ground. "You conscious?"

His response was the flutter of eyelids, the peek of orange eyes out from beneath thin, pointed eyelashes. No words, though, just an open mouth and a spray of tangerine. Bleeding from the mouth. That wasn't a good sigh.

"You're going to be okay," he tried. "I'm going to get you help. You won't have to be a battery again."

One shuddering breath, then stillness. The psionic had passed out.

_I feel like I'm losing control,_ Sollux realized as he sat there in a puddle of green.  _I couldn't win that battle against ED's crew. I lost KK. I couldn't control GZ. Now ED's back, and KK wants to protect him even though I_ know  _his intentions must be nothing but the darkest black. And on top of that, it seems like the ancestors want KK to lead the rebellion. The Helmsman, Dualscar, the Dolorosa, and now ED himself. I started this rebellion, but it looks like I'm slowly losing control over it. And this…_

He touched two fingers to the psionic's neck. There was a pulse.

_This would have been me. It still could be. If I follow in the Helmsman's footsteps like he wants and can't manage to change the course of fate exactly when it's supposed to be changed, then I'll end up just like this guy. Strapped into the Condesce's ship, only kept alive by her touch. Hollowed out and broken._

He'd wanted to lead the rebellion to victory. But now, sitting on the floor of Eridan's ship and cradling the broken form of someone that reminded him far too much of himself, he wasn't so sure how likely that was.


	23. A Thimble Full of Sorrows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karkat settles back down, and things get political.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for politics! Definitely not the most boring part of any story of rebellion.
> 
> This week's chapter is Stories From Elsewhere part two: [A Thimble Full of Sorrows](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll3YEdNomYg) by Rhian Sheehan.

It was strange, seeing Gamzee again. Actually, this whole thing was strange. Being back on Alternia, getting to hold Sollux, getting to see Aradia and Tavros, having Eridan penned up at the rebel base that would soon be moved entirely, and  _especially_ what was happening right now.

"You just gotta up and motherfucking relax, brother," Gamzee cooed, thumbing the bases of his horns to take some of the tension away. The two of them were curled up in a pile in some random room of Sollux's house, not having wanted to go back to Gamzee's place. They wouldn't have lasted all that way. "Relax," Gamzee repeated in a soothing purr. "Relax, Karbro, I've motherfucking got you."

He  _knew_  that, but he was having a hard time convincing his body that it was the truth. He'd spent so long in fear, in constant pain, and so to have his moirail back almost felt impossible.

"You're gonna be motherfucking fine," Gamzee continued. "I'm gonna shooshpap your pretty motherfucking face until you can't motherfucking see straight."

"I'll hold you to that," he rasped. The tension was  _just_  starting to drain out of him, after what had to be five minutes of Gamzee patting up and down his cheeks and rubbing in between his horns. "Mph, Gamzee…"

He received a soft chuckle in response. "C'mon, palebro, lean into me." There was a tug on his shoulder, then Karkat was lying smushed into Gamzee's side. "Now, you wanna up and tell me what  _really_  happened on that ship?"

Of  _course_ Gamzee had seen through the  _'I'm fine'_ façade. It was his job. "I…"

"Hey, now," Gamzee rumbled. "You don't get to up and motherfucking hide from me, brother." He nudged him with a horn. "Spill."

"I just…" His voice died in his throat again. He knew that he was safe with Gamzee. He knew that he could tell him everything, that it was his  _job_  to tell him everything, that he could trust him with his life. But whenever he tried to say anything about what had happened, he just… _couldn't._

Gamzee seemed to sense just how tense he was. "Aw, Karbro, no…" A pair of arms closed around him and drew him close, hands just barely managing to reach around and pap him solidly on the cheeks, over and over. "You gotta trust me, best friend. I ain't gonna up and judge you for anything you had to motherfucking do to survive."

He knew, then. Or at least suspected. Karkat dropped his head to his moirail's chest and closed his eyes. It felt  _so_  good, being enveloped in the scent and feel and touch of someone he'd never dared to  _hope_ of seeing again, being cradled like he was small and delicate and breakable. With anyone else, he never would have allowed himself to be so vulnerable. But this…this was Gamzee.

"Go on," Gamzee urged him softly. A pair of chapped lips pressed to his once, the textbook definition of a pale kiss. "I've got you."

Karkat melted. "Gamzee…I don't even know where to fucking  _start_ with this shit. There's so goddamn much."

"Up and start from the beginning, palebro. How'd you get on that ship?"

He shuddered, remembering that first moment when Rohdan had caught him and held him up by the throat. "I wanted to help Sollux. I figured out he'd lied to me about the rebellion, heard that he was going to attack Eridan's squadron outside the military base, and I went there like an idiot to make sure he was okay. Once I got there, I just ended up getting snagged by the Empire."

Gamzee's expression fell. When he spoke, he sounded strangely sober. "Oh, Karbro…you must have been terrified."

"I don't want to think about it," he murmured. It was a battle for another time. "They just…they took me onto Eridan's ship with the other rebels. They thought I was one of them. And…and then they fucking  _tortured_ me, trying to figure out all this shit about the rebellion that I didn't fucking know."

Fingers curved around his horns, squeezing up and down. Lips brushed to his cheek.

"It was…just…" He choked, and had to stop to compose himself. "No one should have been forced to experience that," he managed finally, voice soft and rasping. "There was this troll…Rohdan Usyidu…he had this fucked up thing where he could reach inside your head and make you fucking  _hurt._  H-he was the one assigned to me. To  _break_ me."

"Well he didn't motherfucking manage it, did he?" Gamzee soothed. "You're still standing."

"Barely," he whispered. "Gamzee, he…he  _hurt_  me. Not just with his claws and with his weapons, but…with  _more_."

Gamzee went deathly still.

Karkat curled his claws into Gamzee's shirt, wincing as he felt the material rip, and shoved his face into the joinder of neck and shoulder. "There were slaves on the flagship," he mumbled. "Did you know? They were everywhere. After I gave up the information, they wanted to make me one too."

"Well, they didn't—"

"They  _did,"_ Karkat said. "I was with the handlers. They fucking  _trained_ me. Do you know what that means?"

Still, Gamzee was silent. He just waited, entire body wrought with tension.

"It means that some scumbag tried to make me slide a random guard's bulge down my throat. It means that when I refused, they threw me into a dingy cell and left me there for a day until they thought I'd be more  _compliant._ It means that Rohdan, slimy bastard that he was, got to order me to shove my own fingers up my nook and I fucking  _did it,_ just to keep myself alive. It means that his bulge got about three inches in before Eridan jumped in and saved me."

Gamzee sucked in a sharp, horrified breath against his throat. "Karbro…"

"It didn't even stop there," he snapped, because now that he'd begun he couldn't stop. "That ridiculous mutation that makes my body just keep producing genetic material? It made me loopy as shit, so out of it that Eridan had to hold me down and pail me to stop me from clawing him to ribbons!"

"Eridan took advantage of you?" Gamzee rumbled.

"He did what he needed to do, and I can't hate him for that. But  _Gamzee._ Rohdan and the Commander, they both…they—!"

"Shh," Gamzee murmured. "Karbro, shh…" He settled gentle hands at either side of Karkat's face and guided him down until his ear was pressed to thin, coarse fabric, right over his chest. Then he started up this  _purring,_ a sound Karkat hadn't heard in months, a sound reserved for only the most stressful of situations. A deep, throbbing hum that reached straight to his bones and squeezed his heart snug. "All that's over now, got it? You're motherfucking safe, and ain't nobody about to get their hands all up on you unless they go through me first."

Karkat snuggled as close as he could. "Promise?"

Gamzee closed his fingers around Karkat's. "Promise. I'm your motherfucking moirail, Karbro, which means I'll up and die before I let some sorry piece of shit get their motherfucking hands all up on you."

_You're safe,_  whispered something in Karkat's mind.  _Your moirail has you. Listen to him purring. Feel his hands on you. He loves you, and he'll protect you if Rohdan tries to come for you again._

Tears welled up in his eyes. "It hurts," he rasped. "It fucking  _hurts,_ Gamzee, knowing that all that shit happened to me. Every time I look back at it I just get these flashes, like for a moment I can't remember where I am and then I realize I'm home and I just can't believe it's real. I keep waiting to wake up and realize that I just passed out while Rohdan fucked me. I keep waiting to end up right back in the lower levels, waiting to be passed around to the whole crew of the flagship just because of my fucking  _blood color_. And maybe that's what I deserve. I sold Sollux out, Gamzee. I told the Condesce where he was, who he was, what he looked like, and I couldn't stop myself. I told her about Aradia being a rat, and you being my moirail, and…it's just a  _mess_. And do you want to know what's really concerning? I can't remember why I told her."

Gamzee raised a brow. "What's that mean, Karbro? How can you not up and remember something like that?"

He shook his head helplessly, saying, "I just don't  _remember._  It's like…I can remember thinking that I had to tell her. Like something was telling me that I had to give up everything, otherwise I'd be torn apart. But the thing is, I was  _ready_ to be torn apart. I told myself I was okay with dying. So why did I tell her? And after I did tell her, it's all just… _blank._ Like, something's there that I can't remember. Or…something was wiped away."

"Karbro," Gamzee rumbled, "are you sure you're okay? You're sounding a little unstable there, brother."

"Honestly? I think I'm a mess." He thunked his horns to Gamzee's collarbone, then purred throatily when he was rewarded by a few pats at the back of his head. "I don't know what I'm doing. I can't stop thinking about Rohdan. I…I can still  _feel_ him. And on top of that, I just keep thinking…what if something goes wrong here? What if Rohdan gets his hands on me again, or the Condesce makes me forget something important, or if I'm taken back to the flagship and turned into a slave? They have a fucking  _uniform,_ Gamzee, one with a slit right in the middle of the pants. I won't be able to do it."

"Kar—"

"And what about Eridan? He's the reason I was tortured, the person that took me to the flagship and handed me over to the Condesce. He's why I was fucking  _raped!"_  And oh god, just saying the word made him feel filthy, but that  _was_ what had happened to him, wasn't it? "But you know what? Some infernal, ridiculous part of me still pities him! I see him and my heart just  _clenches_ , like I don't have every right to hate his guts! God, Gamzee, I'm…I'm fucking  _confused_ , I can't figure out why I still pity him, and I just want to stop  _feeling_ so much for a few hours."

"Karbro—!"

"And Sollux…even though he's the lesser of two evils right now, he still lied to me! For sweeps! He told me that the rebellion was small,  _promised_ me that he wouldn't escalate things. And now here he is, and here I am, and there's the concept of assuming  _leadership—!"_

_"Karkat!"_

He froze, mouth hanging open.

"Karkat," Gamzee said again, taking the mutant's face in between his hands and squeezing. "Motherfucking shoosh _. Shoosh._ "

"I—!"

Gamzee's purr drowned him out. His moirail was practically enveloping him, hands pressing up against his arms and legs and chest and stomach and throat and face and just touching everywhere he could reach. "Karbro, I'm so motherfucking pale for you it hurts."

He blinked back relieved tears. "Y-yeah, I'm pale for you too."

"And no matter  _what_  motherfucking happens, I'm going to up and protect the shit out of you."

Oh,  _fuck_ , there went the waterworks again. "T-thank you. Gamzee, that…"

"No matter what," he repeated solemnly. "We're gonna work through this. Things might seem all kinds of dark right now, but I promise we're gonna do whatever it motherfucking takes to fix your head right up. Until you're right back to normal, just up and find me whenever you need to jam."

"I… Can I stay here? Just for tonight?" He thought of Eridan, locked away, and for a moment he felt a flicker of guilt that he was leaving him there. But when he thought about the hell he'd been through in the past two months, he decided he didn't care.

"Stay here as long as you motherfucking want, best friend. I'll hold you as long as you need."

 

* * *

 

"What are you going to do?"

Aradia's question bounced right off him. He was too busy standing in the hallway outside the lab and staring at the door where Eridan had been locked up tight, shackled like a dog and collared for good measure. He wouldn't be going anywhere, not unless he was meant to.

That wasn't really what was on his mind, though. What was on his mind now was the fact that the Condesce knew where the rebellion was based. She knew where they were, and who knew what else she'd wrung out of Karkat? He'd have to be more careful from here on out. And beside that, he'd have to find a new place for the rebels to call their headquarters. Karkat, Gamzee, and everyone that had their houses connected to the tunnels would no longer be safe living there.

And then…the other thing. The fact that everyone seemed to want Karkat to lead the rebellion. The fact that he was supposed to trust Eridan enough to let him address the people and renounce the Condesce. Just that whole mess in general, really.

"Sollux?" Aradia asked. "Did you hear me?"

He started. "AA…sorry, I'm just a little distracted."

"I know. But you have to think this through and make a decision quickly, otherwise the entire rebellion may be reduced to ash. If the Condesce reaches this place before you can move everyone out, we'll have a disaster on our hands. So, what are you going to do?"

There wasn't much of a choice, really. There was only one place that would be large and hidden enough to house the rebels that would be upended because of the Condesce's sudden acquisition of knowledge. "We're going to move them to FF's palace. Should be concealed enough, what with it being underwater and all."

"How are they expected to breathe, exactly?"

"FF can drain the water out of the palace in no time and keep it from rushing in whenever a door is opened. If we build a couple of protected walkways up to the beach, we'll have an easy way to get back and forth."

"We'll need to move quickly."

"Yeah, we will—especially since I'm intending to bring  _all_ of the rebels to live there."

"What? Sollux—!"

"It's necessary, AA! Right now we have about four hundred members spread out all over the city, but none of us know each other or care about each other, and that's no way to win a rebellion. We have to form  _bonds,_ get to know and care about each other! That way the members will be more motivated to fight with everything they have to protect the people they consider friends."

"Good in theory, but how do you intend to take care of all those people? Especially if Karkat and Eridan manage to bring in as many new recruits as we're hoping."

"We're currently in control of dozens of plantations dotting the outskirts of the city. We can use those to keep up food production, but other than that we shouldn't need much. It's not like we need uniforms, and every troll should have their own weapons."

Aradia shook her head. "I guess that's that, then. The only problem is actually getting Karkat and Eridan to address the public, get the word out there."

"Yeah," Sollux chuckled, "good luck convincing KK to get in front of a camera. And it's not like we can trust ED to address  _anyone_  by himself."

"I'm sure they'll listen to reason. Eridan  _does_ seem rather willing to aid us."

He bristled at the thought of the way Eridan had kneeled before him, as if he'd expected that simple gesture to make everything better. He  _hated_ him. "I still don't trust him, and you shouldn't either."

"No," was the gentle agreement. "I'll trust him when he proves himself to us. But I do believe that you should give him a chance, as Karkat has given him a chance."

Sollux looked away. "Enough. I'm not going to talk about ED anymore."

"Very well. What should we do about Vriska, then? From what Karkat said, she's on our side."

"We can't afford to contact her directly." That, at least, was the truth. If he contacted her and her nice act turned out to be just that—an act—then he would be in deep shit. She'd report to the Condesce, and that would be that. "I'll have KN talk to her," he decided. "That way we can get a better feel for how serious she is about helping us."

"I guess that's sorted. Our main problem now will have to be moving the rebels into the underwater base supplied by Feferi, and to figure out how we're going to get Karkat to stand in front of a crowd and flaunt his blood color."

"Yeah, that…may be a problem." He hadn't put much thought into that, admittedly. He knew that Karkat was crucial to garnering support for the rebellion (the Helmsman and Eridan had convinced him of that, at least), but getting his kismesis to actually let the whole world know his blood color…delivering a speech to all of Alternia…

Well. That was the thing about Karkat. He was more than willing to give a harsh, grating speech to smaller groups of people that he was familiar with, but he froze up when it came to speaking to large groups. It was a part of his hemophobia, his fear that being in large groups would make it more likely that his blood color would be discovered.

"Maybe," Sollux said slowly, "we should bait him into giving  _us_ a speech about the rebellion. About justice for the slaves and equality of all blood colors and all that bullshit."

"How would that help? If he's just talking to the two of us, then—"

"Not just the two of us. Get ED in there too, and have KN stand in for good measure. GZ and TV, too. As many of our original team as we can get our hands on."

"I still don't see how that will help."

"Easy. We're going to record him when he goes off on us, without telling him we're doing it, and if it's any good then we're going to broadcast it to the entire world."

Aradia slid a hand over her mouth to stifle her immediate giggle. "Oh. Oh my. You don't think he'll hate you for that?"

"I'm sure it will make the black fires between us burn even brighter," he said flatly.

Another giggle. "Okay, then. And I suppose if Eridan is there, and he doesn't know he's being filmed…"

"He'll have no reason to try and turn the public against us. He'll be doing his best to convince us that he's really on our side, and the fact that the whole thing will be candid is going to make everyone think that it's the truth."

"Very clever," Aradia praised. "Now let's just hope that we can rile Karkat enough to give us a good, long speech."

"Yeah…" He trailed off. "AA?"

"Yes?"

"Do you…think I should let Karkat take over leadership of the rebellion? Like the Signless led the last rebellion?"

"Tavros and Vriska's ancestors led the last rebellion, technically. Are you about to give up your position of leadership to them, too?"

"No, but this is different! Karkat is the descendant of the _Signless._ Like, the guy that started the original freedom movement! It's just like Eridan said—that cult is still around, even if they've fallen a bit into obscurity. They'll follow Karkat.  _Lots_ of people will follow Karkat because of who he is. But what about me? I'm supposed to be the leader. I'm the one that built this rebellion from the ground up. But when it comes down to it…who am I? The descendant of someone who ended up a battery on the Imperial Flagship? What reason do they have to listen to me?"

"Oh, Sollux," Aradia sighed. "Why do you have to see things in black and white?"

"What do you mean?"

"I  _mean,_ why does the rebellion have to have one leader? If you're looking to project an image of democracy, of change, then having one leader isn't exactly what you should be aiming for. It was fine in the beginning, when you were just getting your feet under you, but now…don't you think it might be a good idea to expand leadership to more than one person? A council, perhaps. With Karkat as one of the members."

He stared. That…was actually a good idea. A  _great_ idea. Karkat could be the poster boy of the rebellion, but not its sole leader.  _Take that, Mituna! I'm not giving up leadership that easily!_

Aradia offered him a small smile, seeing how elated her suggestion had made him. "I take it you approve?"

"Fuck, AA, that's the best idea you've ever had!"

"You just have to decide how many councilmembers to have, and who will have the honor of taking up a position."

"Yeah, of course—I'll get to thinking about that right after I let FF know that I'm going to be using her castle as a base. Oh, and I'll have to debrief KK, too. I'm sure there's plenty he hasn't told me about what happened."

Aradia's expression softened. "Be gentle with him, Sollux. He's been through a lot, I can tell."

He could tell, too. Karkat had looked nothing short of haunted. "I will, AA. No caliginous shenanigans until I'm sure he's okay."

"Good." She pushed herself off the counter she'd been sitting on and brushed off the seat of her pants. "Now, I should be getting back to the military. I've been gone for a while, and someone is bound to notice sooner or later that I'm using my off day to do something rather unpatriotic."

Sollux patted her on the cheek affectionately. Said, "Pale for you, AA. I'll let you know as soon as I figure out exactly what I'm doing next."

"I'm pale for you too," was the soft response. "Good luck, Sollux."

 

* * *

 

Sollux took his own advice to go see Karkat about eight hours later, after crashing in his bedroom for a little rest. He'd contacted Feferi beforehand and asked about the palace being used as the new rebel base, to which she'd eagerly agreed and told him that she would have the water drained out within the day. He had no idea how she was going to do it, but she'd promised that she'd have everything ready soon. In the meantime, Sollux intended to go to Karkat and have that debriefing.

"KK!" he called, poking his head upstairs. Karkat had decided to stay in Sollux's house for the time being, too scared to go home after whatever shit had happened to him aboard the flagship. So when Sollux ascended the stairs and looked around a little, it didn't take long to figure out where his kismesis had curled up.

Karkat was in  _his_  room. Not in his recuperacoon, but huddled up in the corner atop a mess of blankets and pillows and random crap that had been sitting around on the wardrobe and the bedside table. Gamzee was nowhere to be found.

"Woah, KK," Sollux said, closing the door behind him and making his way into the room. "Are you doing okay? Where's GZ?"

Karkat raised his head blearily. There were bags under his eyes. "Stepped out," was the raspy response. "I told him to eat and take a shower."

"What, and  _you_  didn't eat?"

Karkat swatted at him, despite the fact that he was still about ten feet away. "Worrying about that shit is Gamzee's job, fuckass. Don't flip pale on me."

He grinned. "No way, KK. I'll take you black or not at all, thank you very much."

That earned him a small smile. "Good to know that you're still as crack-panned as ever."

"Hmm." Sollux padded forward. "Mind if I join you?"

Karkat just shrugged. "It's your room."

Sollux lowered himself into the pile beside Karkat and made sure he wasn't sitting too close. They hadn't jammed much in the past, seeing as that wasn't really something kismeses did that often, and he didn't want to mess anything up. This was more Gamzee's territory, and…and maybe Eridan's.  _Maybe._ "You doing okay?" he asked.

Karkat gave a mild shrug. "Not that okay, but I'll get there. All this, it…" He shook his head. "It's just a lot."

"Are you still mad at me? For lying?"

The redblood crinkled his nose. "Fuck, Sollux…you lied to me, and it got me captured. I can blame Eridan for this all I want, and I'm not saying he's innocent by any stretch of the imagination, but you were ultimately the reason I ended up with the Empire in the first place."

He winced. It was true.

"You got me captured," Karkat went on. "Plain and simple. You lied for me to sweeps, and then when I figured out what you'd been doing I tried to make sure you were safe and ended up getting captured and sexually assaulted."

Sollux jolted.  _"What?_ KK, you never said—!"

"I was a slave on the Imperial Flagship, if only for a few days. Not even Eridan's orders managed to protect me."

He gaped, stunned by the realization. "Shit…KK…"

The troll stared at his knees. "Look, I don't want pity from my kismesis. I'm only telling you because I think you deserve to know."

"Okay," he said with a short nod. "Thank you for telling me, then. Is there anything else…?"

"The person who assaulted me…his name was Rohdan. He was this tall, hulking blueblood with sloping horns and yellowed teeth. He wants to be the Vice Admiral, and not that Eridan is gone he'll probably reach that goal. In his free time, he liked to volunteer to train slaves. He requested me specifically."

Sollux stayed quiet. He didn't think he was supposed to respond.

"There are dozens of slaves on that flagship. Maybe hundreds. All lowbloods, rust and brown, like Aradia and Tavros. The crew does whatever they want to them. When I first got on the ship, I had to go to a party with Eridan before I spoke with the Condesce. They…they fucking  _abused_ the slaves right in front of me. Right in front of  _everyone_. This poor rustblood just got held down and fondled not five feet from me, and everyone just stood around like it was normal."

"What happened after you spoke to the Condesce?" Sollux asked gently.

"I told her everything."

That was the part he didn't understand. "Why did you tell her?"

"She…" Karkat shuddered. "She just made me tell her. Held me down by the horns and looked me in the eyes, and…something just made me tell her. I can't remember why, it was just…something told me that I had to tell her everything I knew."

"That old legend," Sollux recalled. "The one where she can wrench control just through eye contact. Do you think it's true?"

Karkat just shuffled his feet. "Honestly? I'm not sure. I can't remember why I said anything to her. Maybe that's why it's a legend and not a fact—everyone it happens to has their memory wiped clean."

Sollux hummed.

"She sent me down to be trained as a slave," Karkat went on. "There was this guy. Commander Halbir. He trains the slaves. Breaks them down until the word  _no_ isn't even in their vocabulary anymore. He tried to break me. Then, when I refused him, he sent me to Rohdan. Eridan saved me."

"ED is the reason you were there in the first place. I may have lied to you, but you never would have ended up on that ship if he hadn't obeyed the Condesce and taken you there."

"You're right." Karkat turned to look at him. His contacts had been removed sometime during his trip, Sollux noticed. His eyes were back to their normal, blazing crimson. "Eridan took me there, and ended up being responsible for a lot of the shit I went through. But he still rescued me and vowed to help the rebellion, and for that I'm grateful. Don't get me wrong, his good deeds don't cancel out all the awful things he's done. But if he's willing to try and atone, then I'm willing to listen to him."

"You pity him," Sollux said tiredly. "Even after all this shit."

Karkat hummed. "Do you want to know something funny that I learned while I was on that ship?"

He just shook his head helplessly.

"Everyone puts so much faith in rationalization," Karkat said. He was tapping at his knee restlessly, and Sollux wondered if he even knew he was doing it. "In all those shitty romcoms and books I used to read, it was always  _so_ fucking simple. Despite all the plot twists and double-crossing and cheating, it was always simple. One character loves another for X number of reasons, can list them all neatly and cleanly all in a row, and it's all completely rational."

"Isn't that how it should be?" Sollux asked. "I can rationalize why I hate you and why I pity AA. It's easy."

"Except it's  _not._  The fucking  _ridiculous_ thing about pity and hate and all that bullshit is, it's  _not_  rational. I wish it were. If it were, I would just kick Eridan in the ass and get him off my back. But for some reason my heart still insists upon pitying him! Despite the fact that I  _know_ he's at fault for all of this shit, I can't stop feeling  _red._ "

Then he was truly lost.

Sollux bowed his head. This conversation was dipping dangerously close to pale territory, with him trying to get Karkat to ditch someone who clearly wasn't good for him, but there was one last thing he needed to know. "Will you tell me what you told the Condesce?"

"Sure," Karkat shrugged, as if he hadn't just spilled an emotional monologue about how much he pitied Eridan. "I told her what you looked like, who you were, where you were based, that there were tunnels under the city connecting everyone together, and…" He trailed off. "Oh.  _Fuck_."

"KK? What's wrong?"

Karkat turned to look at him, eyes wide, skin pale. "Fuck. Sollux, I told her about Aradia."

He froze.  _"What?"_

"I told her that Aradia was a spy," he clarified, looking just as panicked. "Holy shit, I totally forgot that was something I told her! She knows about her, and if she goes back to the on-world military then she could be—!"

Sollux wasn't listening anymore. He launched himself out of the pile and scrambled for his handheld, pulling it out and rushing to call Aradia up. If she hadn't reached the base yet, she should be fine.

"I'm sorry!" Karkat tried as he made the call. "Really, Sollux, I completely forgot—!"

"Shut up!" he snapped.  _Come on, AA, pick up, pick up…_

There was a click.  _"Sollux?"_

"AA!" he burst out. "Get away from the military base!"

" _Huh? Why would I do that?"_

"KK ratted you out," he told her in a low growl. "It's not safe for you to be there anymore."

_"But I'm our only contact inside the military! If I can't return there, we don't have as much leverage!"_

"I know, but you'll be captured and killed if you go back there. Or worse, you'll be sent off to the flagship like KK was. So  _get out of there!"_

There was a pause. Then,  _"Understood. I haven't reached the base yet, so I'll turn right around and come back. Don't worry, Sollux, I'll be fine."_

A whoosh of relieved breath escaped him. "Good…that's good. I'll see you soon." He hung up with a click. Then he turned, bristling, and snarled, "What the fuck were you thinking, not telling me shit like that? AA could have been killed!"

"I'm sorry!" Karkat said again. "I really can't  _remember,_ Sollux! So much of that conversation with the Condesce feels blank now, like it's just slowly slipping away from me the longer I go, and I honestly had no idea I'd told her that until I just remembered!"

He almost yelled back. But then he saw Karkat's expression, stricken with fear and pain and hopelessness, and his heart broke just a little. "You really couldn't remember?"

"Sollux, I'm a part of this rebellion now. Why would I keep something like that from you if I knew?"

He had a point. Sollux deflated, letting his shoulders slump, and muttered, "Sorry. I overreacted. I was just afraid that I was going to lose someone else."

Karkat lowered his gaze. "Yeah, I…know what you mean."

Sollux wondered if he was thinking about Eridan. "While I'm here, can I propose something to you?"

"Sure. Not like there's anything better to do, other than cower in the corner."

"Right," Sollux chuckled. "Well…it's about leading the rebellion."

Immediately, Karkat tensed. "I don't want to lead it."

Sollux blinked. "I wasn't going to ask you to."  _Though knowing that you would have refused even if I_ was  _asking you is kind of a massive comfort, I'll give you that._

"Oh, really?" Karkat looked up at him in surprise. "Eridan wouldn't shut up about how it was my destiny or something. I thought you might be the same."

"No, I don't want you to lead. What I want you to do is  _inspire."_

He received a suspicious glance. Karkat curled a little tighter around himself. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean that I want you to be the figurehead. ED was right about you. If you show your blood and give a speech…"

Just like that, Karkat's expression fell. "God, Sollux, don't ask me to do that yet. I need time to recover!"

"And you'll get it. But the longer we wait, the more of a chance there is that the Condesce will find us and blast us off the face of the planet."

"Soon, then, but not now. I really need to get my head on straight."

"Okay. Then how about we really talk about the leadership of the rebellion? AA had an idea I think you'll like."

"Then spit it out."

_Come on, Sollux. Make this work. Sell it._ "AA said that you'll be good for the people as a figurehead, someone they want to follow, but there's the blaring issue that you don't really want to lead. I, on the other hand, want to lead but can't exactly project a compelling image. So taking that into consideration, and remembering that we're trying to project the image of democracy and obliterate hierarchical suppression and all that…well, AA thinks that we shouldn't have a single leader. She suggested that we have a council, and I want you to be on it."

"Really?" His tone was almost  _hopeful._ "Not just one leader?"

"Nope. No head councilman or anything, just one big council with maybe four or five people of equal power."

"Three or five people," Karkat advised. "You can't have an even number, not if you don't want to have stalemates in voting."

"See?" Sollux purred. "You're already doing great. So, what do you say? You won't have the pressure of making major decisions on your own. You won't be able to make any mistakes without the consent of at least two other intelligent, like-minded trolls." He held out a hand.

Karkat only watched it for a moment before he reached out, took Sollux's hand in his own, and gave it a good shake. "You've got a deal."

"Wow, KK. I didn't think that was going to be so easy."

"Well, I'm not interested in having  _no_ power in the rebellion. If you're going to use my blood to fuel the populous, that was never an option in the first place. But if I don't have to make all the decisions alone, if I have friends to support me…" He gave a soft, gentle smile. A rare sight. "Well. Let's just say I should throw Aradia a party for coming up with that one."

A surge of relief overtook him. It was a start, at least, having Karkat agree to work with him to lead the rebellion. Granted, that might change once Aradia's real plan was carried out and Karkat was recorded without his knowledge to inspire the rebels, but for now it was something he could work with. He opened his mouth to tell Karkat as much, but he was interrupted by the sound of a door opening.

"Karbro, I—oh!" Gamzee lumbered into the room, freezing when he saw Sollux sitting in the pile. "Solbro, didn't up and see you there! Should I leave, or…?"

"No," Sollux said quickly, "I just stopped by to run some things past KK. I need to go see if FF is ready to move bases, anyway, so I'll get out of your hair."

"Sollux, wait."

He paused. "KK?"

Karkat watched him an even, steady gaze. "Who else is going to be on this council of yours? You said there would be at least three, and you've only named the two of us."

"Well…" He hadn't thought about it too hard, actually, seeing as he hadn't even gotten Karkat to agree when he came in to talk with him. "I'm assuming I'll have FF—"

"You want a tyrian to have a hand in leading the rebellion?"

"She's the one that helped me get the rebellion off the ground in the first place, KK, of course."

"Really." He stared flatly. "Didn't you say Feferi wanted to project the image of democracy?"

"Yeah, she did."

"And you agree?"

"I do."

"Then don't you think it's a bad idea to put the Condesce's genetic double on the council that's supposed to be leading Alternia if we manage to win this shitshow?"

He frowned. "No. She's not the Condesce, she's her own person."

" _You_  know that, but does anyone else? Take my advice or leave it, but I don't think people are going to be particularly thrilled when they see that the heir to the Empire is on the council. They're going to think that we're only calling it a democratic system because we want to gain popularity and support, but that in truth the new Empress is stringing us along like a bunch of puppets. They'll think that she's controlling all of us. Or worse, that if we win she'll phase all of us out and then be left as the sole ruler. The people don't want another Empress, Sollux. They want change. And if you want to project that image, then  _please_ don't just blindly throw Feferi onto the council because she's your matesprit."

"It's not because she's my matesprit, it's…!" Then he trailed off, stomach sinking as he realized that Karkat was right. Feferi had always insisted upon a democracy, but the populous would grow suspicious if she had real power. They would think it was all a lie, a ploy for a new Empress to gain power, and that wasn't what they would want. "Fuck," he sighed, "you're right. Who else should we appoint, then?"

"Well, who was with you from the beginning? You want someone with experience."

"Ladcai," he said immediately. "He was the first rebel Feferi referred me to."

"Okay. Who else?"

He paused. Shook his head. "I don't know. There's not really anyone else that would be good for the job, not even AA. If VK was here and on our side for sure, I'm sure she'd want a hand in leading, but…"

"Then we should wait," was Karkat's solution. "We have three people, that will be enough to convince the public for now that we're working towards democracy. Once we gain more numbers, we'll have a better idea of who is entitled to lead. Who knows, we may even end up with seven councilmembers. Or nine."

"That's pretty smart, KK. It's almost like you  _aren't_ a complete imbecile."

Karkat smirked toothily. "Oh, I know. Face it, Sollux, I'm just better at governing than you are."

Sollux growled warningly. "Watch it, KK."

"Yeah, yeah," he scoffed. "Now get out of here and talk to Feferi, you complete wreck."

He left without another word, leaving Karkat to his moirail. From the way things sounded, they had a lot of work left to do.

 

* * *

 

"Here we are!" Feferi chirped, leading Sollux further into her underwater lair. "Gosh, how long has it been since you've been here? At least a sweep, right?"

"A sweep and a half," Sollux agreed, somewhat somberly. He wished that he'd been able to visit more. Long distance matespritships sucked. "It looks really different."

"Well, it's funny you mention it!" Feferi turned them down a hallway and led them further into the palace. "I actually suspected that this might happen at some point or another, so I started expanding in preparation to house the rebels a long time ago! There's everything here now. Barracks, meeting rooms, a mess hall…I went all out!" She waved a hand to one side, where a large set of double doors glistened with the last drops of moisture. "That's the mess hall right there, actually. It did take a while to drain all the water out, but I managed it well enough."

Sollux gave an appreciative nod. "This is incredible, FF. How many rebels do you think you can house here?"

"Oh, hmm…maybe a few thousand?"

"A few  _thousand?"_

"It's reel-y big now! I've been expanding for sweeps, so it's practically an underwater military base! Just as big as the main military compound, if not larger."

"Shit," Sollux breathed, "that's amazing. And what about—?"

"Food?" Feferi interrupted. "Weaponry? Supplies in general? Don't worry! Like you said, you still have control of plantations on the surface, and there's plenty of fish here if we need a boost! Other than that, everyone brings their own weapons and clothing. If there are any issues, I'm sure we can find a way to manage!"

"I guess I should start moving everyone in immediately, then," Sollux said. "The longer we wait in that lab the more of a chance there is that the Empress contacts the on-world military and makes them tear us apart. I'm surprised she hasn't already."

"Yes, it  _is_  rather strange. I wonder what's holding her up…"

Sollux gave a light shrug. Said, "Let's not think about it too hard, otherwise our luck might run out. Honestly, the on-world military hasn't even posed that much of an issue for a few weeks. It's almost like they're waiting for something."

"What would they be waiting for?"

"I don't know. But the fact is, they haven't been up to as much lately. They're just kind of patrolling and staying quiet. If they're waiting for something to happen, I don't want to know what."

Feferi gave a nervous glub. "Well I hope it's not going to be a problem."

"Yeah," he murmured. "I hope so too, FF. I hope so too."


	24. The Way Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rebels move to a new base.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what really hit me this week is that I'm making the exact same mistakes in this story as I made in Fade (which I doubt most/any of you have read, but still). Apparently I never learn...
> 
> After next Saturday I'm going to start posting on Wednesdays too, so look out for that! Also, I don't know if any of you are fans of the Avengers but I started posting a fun story that's going to be maybe fifteen chapters, which you can check out [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14883467/chapters/34467308) if you're interested.
> 
> This week's chapter is [The Way Home](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gB0b6U_iGA) by Tony Anderson.

Karkat watched steadily over the next few days as Sollux methodically moved everything from his old base into the new one in the ocean. The psionic kept saying that he was eager to get away from the lab, afraid that the Empire would order the on-world military after them before they had a chance to clear everything out. Karkat hadn't gone to see Feferi's underwater palace yet, but he'd heard that it was large enough to house not just the rebels they had currently, but all the ones they would recruit in the future. It sounded amazing. He never wanted to visit.

Mostly he spent his time with Gamzee. He knew that very soon he would be required to move into the new base to avoid the Empire taking his head off, but until then he was happy to stay in Sollux's house and curl up in a pile with his moirail. He'd had more feelings jams in the past few days than he had in his entire life. Thankfully, it was starting to help.

Eridan stayed where he was. Karkat hadn't gone to see him since they'd arrived on Alternia. He knew he pitied him, was pitied in return, but…when he went to see Eridan, those feelings would become  _real._ Which was foolish, he knew, seeing as those emotions were definitely already real, so maybe what he meant was that when he saw Eridan again they would  _feel_ real, because right now they just felt like some distant fact that he didn't have to acknowledge. When he next spoke to Eridan, they would have to deal with all the shit between them.

So. He didn't go see him. Not yet.

On the second day, very close to the time when Sollux would ask him to move into Feferi's palace to avoid danger, he had to go back to his own house to collect the things he wanted to take with him. He hadn't been able to manage the tunnels alone, and had clung to Gamzee the whole way there. He'd only taken his clothing and his weapons. All trinkets were left to be destroyed by whatever squadron of troops found them first. Gamzee had done the same. It had been dangerous going to his house, seeing as the military was frantically searching for him due to his sudden disappearance, but they'd managed it well enough.

Karkat and Gamzee had given their things to Sollux, and had been reassured that their rooms would be adjoined when they went to live in the palace.

Karkat had no hand in everything else that was happening. Sollux and one of his friends (Ladcai, he thought his name was) had been taking care of contacting all known rebels and asking them to come live with Feferi for their own protection. So far it sounded like they'd been met with agreement from most of the rebels. The palace would be inhabited by around three hundred of them. Once Karkat flashed his blood color around and addressed the general public, that number would probably triple, if not quintuple.

That…was the other thing. He knew that he was expected to reveal his blood color and heritage, draw the attention of the Signless' cult, and give some kind of impassioned speech to the rebels that would get more of them on board with taking out the Empire. But when he thought about actually revealing his blood color for all of Alternia to see, his stomach twisted up into knots that he couldn't undo. He knew he had to do it. He had to address the populous if he wanted to help the rebellion get further off the ground, get to the flagship and free all the slaves, but he  _really_  didn't want to do it. He didn't want to put himself out there as any kind of leader. The last time he'd done that, back in the game…it hadn't ended well. They'd just ended up in a copy of their old universe, miserable and alone in a world that didn't even know the game had ever existed.

_Deep breaths. Keep calm. You won't have to make that speech and show your blood color for a few more days at least, until everyone is moved into the new base and ready to hear you. Until then, just keep yourself nice and relaxed. Go see Gamzee if you're feeling twitchy._

It was good in theory, but he was still nervous. Nervous about the speech, about having to speak with Eridan, about the possibility of being beaten down by the Empire, about… _everything._  Twitchy didn't even begin to cover it. Gamzee said it was side effect of being under the Empire's thumb for two months. He'd been collared for so long that now he jumped at even the mention of the Condesce's name. He wanted revenge, yes, but more prominent was the desire to  _hide._ And that was a problem when he was expected to just the opposite.

Finally, as Sollux started moving rebels into the new base, Karkat decided he couldn't take it any longer. Sollux had asked him to move in that day anyway, so he decided that he'd go to Eridan and take him to the new base with him. Sollux had made sure a cell was waiting for him there, until he'd proven he could be trusted.

Karkat went up to Eridan early in the morning to make the move. No one else was with him, but he'd made sure that Feferi knew they were coming. It would be hard for her, he guessed, seeing Eridan again after their rocky past. He didn't want to force the experience upon her without a bit of warning.

_Focus, Vantas. Just open the door and go in there._

_Okay_. He took a deep breath, steeled himself, and opened the door.

Eridan was leaning against the far wall of the room, which looked surprisingly livable for something Sollux had come up with. There was a recuperacoon and everything, and a bathroom off to one side. The seadweller was currently on the ground, chin resting against his knees as he just sat there in silence. His hands were still bound, ankles having followed as soon as he was thrown into the room. He looked up in surprise the instant Karkat swung the door open and stepped inside.

"Kar!" Eridan exclaimed. "You came back!"

His heart cracked with pity at the downright rapturous expression on Eridan's face. Had he really missed him so badly? "What did you expect?" he asked gruffly. "You're a valuable asset to the rebellion and all that shit."

"Oh…is that all?"

"Yes. There is entirely no reason other than necessity that I have come to visit you." Karkat paced further into the room and knelt at Eridan's side. He'd grabbed a set of keys from Sollux's lab to let his ankles free. Wasn't like he could  _carry_ Eridan all the way to the oceanside. Then he paused. "That was sarcastic, in case you couldn't tell."

Eridan's shoulders slumped with relief. "Really?"

"Really, you idiot." He reached for the cuffs around Eridan's ankles. "Hold still."

"What are you doin'?"

"Letting you walk. I'm not carrying you all the way to the new base."

Eridan blinked. "New base? You're movin'?"

"We can't exactly stay here," he pointed out. "I told the Condesce where our base was, and quite frankly I'm stunned she hasn't ordered anyone to attack it already."

"Yeah…" Eridan gave a thoughtful frown, saying, "I don't know what she's up to. Normally she would have already launched some kind of assault, but she's just…hangin' around out there. Doin' nothin'."

"Let's not think about it." Karkat cast away the cuffs, then moved to Eridan's wrists. "Don't tell Sollux I'm unlocking you entirely, okay? He'd have my head."

"They why are you doin' it?"

He sucked in a breath. "Because I trust you."

_Oh god._ Eridan needed to stop looking at him like that. "You…you really trust me? Really?"

Karkat jerked his eyes towards the ground to avoid having to look Eridan in the face. "Yeah. I do. Call me crazy, brain damaged, whatever you like, but for some fucking reason I've decided to trust you. It's the beginning of my slow decline into insanity, to be sure."

"Aww, Kar!" Eridan chirped. "You have no idea how much that means to—"

"Stop your sentimental blathering!" Karkat hissed before he could really get going. "I'm going to unlock you long enough to get to the new base, and then I'm going to dump you right back into the cell Feferi picked out to hold you."

Just like that, the elation was gone. "Fef?"

Oh…he'd accidentally let that one slip, hadn't he? "Yeah, Feferi is the one providing us with the new base. It's underwater."

"So, uh…I guess I'll see her again?"

Despite himself, a flicker of jealousy ran through him. Eridan had been red for Feferi for a long time before he'd even met Karkat in person. What if he decided he wanted to go back to that now?

_Don't be ridiculous,_ Karkat told himself.  _How many times has he fallen over himself trying to convince you that he pities you? He would never run back to Feferi, not after all that. Stop imagining drama where there isn't any._

"You'll probably see Feferi," Karkat affirmed after a long, slow pause. "I don't know if she'll want to see you, though. Sollux told me she got pretty fucking bad after you left. I can't imagine she's forgiven you for running off after she was crushed by the Condesce."

"Oh…" Eridan's fins drooped. Karkat absolutely did not find it adorable. "Well, I guess there's not really any gettin' around that. Guess I have a lot to atone for."

"You're telling me." Karkat reached out and hauled the seadweller to his feet. "You've been getting fed, right? Sollux hasn't just locked you in here perpetually like the dick he is?"

Eridan shook his head. "They've been bringin' me stuff to eat. I'm fine. But…how are you doin'? You were in a bad way the last time I saw you."

"I'm fine," he assured him. "Or…I'll  _be_ fine. Gamzee's helping."

"Ah. Should…we talk about what happened that night on the ship?"

He tensed. That was exactly what he  _didn't_ want to talk about. He still blushed a bright, scandalous red at the thought of Eridan's junk being  _anywhere_  in vicinity of his junk. "No. There's nothing to talk about."

"But Kar," Eridan protested, "I really feel like we need to talk about that! It was my fault it happened in the first place, and you couldn't even say yes but I did it anyways, and—!"

"Eridan," Karkat growled, "Shut up."

He snapped his teeth together with an audible click.

"Listen to me  _carefully._ Yes, it  _was_ your fault that all of that fucking happened, and  _yes_ I was unable to give you…uh,  _consent,_ but you didn't really have any other option. If you'd left me alone I don't know what would have happened. So can we just forget about it and say that it was necessary at the time?"

"You can't forgive me that easily," Eridan said. "Not after all that."

"No, I can't. If I'm being honest, I'll probably never really forgive you. But what I  _can_  do is realize that all of that shit was in the past and try to give you a second chance. Or a third, apparently. Most people don't even get a second, Eridan, so be fucking  _grateful."_

He blinked. "Y-yeah, Kar, I…okay. He peered up at him through those absurdly thick lashes. "Does that mean…do you pity…?"

For just a moment, his chest seized with panic. He knew that he pitied Eridan, but he wasn't ready to just jump right back into a matespritship with him. No…right now he needed to just focus on his pale quadrant, at least until he was able to sleep without waking up screaming every few hours. After that he could work things out with Sollux, rebuild what had been torn away from their relationship by all the lies and deceit, and then…maybe…

"Not yet," Karkat said finally. "But soon, I think."

Eridan had never looked so happy. "Kar…"

"Go cry on someone else!" Karkat snapped in an attempt to regain his gruff persona, but Eridan just grinned at him like an idiot. "Oh, dear lord—Eridan—!"

"Sorry, sorry," the seadweller purred. "Let's just get out of here, okay? Didn't you want to take me to the new rebel base?"

Thankful for the distraction, he nodded. "Yeah. Let's get out of here."

As it turned out, though, getting to Feferi's house was a bit of a journey. Karkat led Eridan out of the room, slipped into the tunnels, and was promptly faced with the thirty-minute walk to get to the shore. This was one of the many tunnels that would be sealed up once everyone had been evacuated, that way it was harder for the Empire to poke around and figure out what they'd been up to. They would no doubt excavate the tunnels, but the fact that this particular one led to the seaside instead of Feferi's house directly made it safe. The Empire would have no idea where their new base was.

"Wow," Eridan whispered when they finally emerged on the shoreline. "That's…wow. I haven't seen the ocean in forever."

That was probably one of the saddest things Karkat had ever heard him say, though, so he drowned it out. Eridan was a  _seadweller._ What the fuck did the Empire have him doing, in space instead of in the water where he belonged?

"Do you remember where Feferi's house is?" Karkat asked.

"Yeah, of course. Hey, I wonder if mine is still out here somewhere!"

"Who knows?" Karkat edged right up to the water and poked his toes into the lapping waves. The sea was a dangerous place, but it felt pleasant if you just sat around and stuck your feet in. Almost…hypnotic. "So Feferi is  _supposed_  to have a new tunnel built out here soon so we don't have to swim, but until then we're kind of stuck waiting for her to pop out of the ocean and lead us down."

"Oh," Eridan said with a playful grin. "That won't be necessary."

"What are you—hey!"

Karkat yelped as Eridan snagged him around the waist and dove into the water. He half expected to hit the sand, seeing as they were so close to shore, but Eridan seemed to know exactly when and where to jump to avoid having the water bash them into the earth. Karkat found himself clinging tight to Eridan as the water swallowed them whole and sucked them right out into open water.

Eridan laughed wildly in his ear as he tugged them up to the surface. The shore was still well within sight, but Karkat's chest tightened with fear as he realized that they were just  _in the ocean._ They were in seadweller territory now.

"Oh, no," Eridan purred, seeing Karkat's panic. "Here, hold onto me." The seadweller flipped himself onto his back and let Karkat hook his arms over his waist like an overgrown life preserver. "Calm down, Kar," he soothed. "I'm a seadweller, this is my territory."

Oh, right.  _Idiot._ Eridan belonged here. Hadn't he  _just_ been thinking about that?

"You're insufferable," Karkat growled furiously. He paused to spit out a mouthful of saltwater. "I thought I was going to die!"

Another laugh, low and rumbling. "I wouldn't let that happen. I'm just goin' to carry you down to Fef's house, plain and simple. And if I let us drift around a little first…" He shrugged.

"Oh, you piece of—!"

"Come on, Kar, relax a little!" Eridan tilted his head back and let his hair catch in the current. "God, I haven't done this in  _so long…"_

He felt a tiny flicker of guilt.  _That's right…he said that he's been in space so long that he hasn't gotten to do this since he left all those years ago._ Promptly, he decided that he would let Eridan have a few minutes before he was crammed right back into a cell. If he'd been in the seadweller's position, he would have wanted a few moments of freedom.

He quickly changed his mind when a massive wave swept over him, dunking his head beneath the water and wrenching him away from Eridan momentarily.

"Woah! Easy, there!"

Hands hooked under his arms and popped his head right back above the water. "Why aren't you swimmin'?"

"I can't swim, fuckass! Why would I need to swim? I'm a fucking landdweller!"

"Oh…" Eridan blinked, like he really hadn't even considered that. "Shit, Kar, I'm sorry."

"Just don't let go of me and we'll be fine, idiot!"

Eridan offered him a sweet smile. "Okay. I'll never let you go, how about that?"

He flushed. "You idiot."

"You already said that." Eridan flipped onto his front and poked his head out of the water. "Hang onto my shoulders, okay? I'm goin' to swim out to Fef's house, but I'll skim the surface so you can breathe. Okay?"

He reached for Eridan's shoulders. Then, as an afterthought, he changed his mind and wrapped his arms around the seadweller's chest. It felt nice, a solid weight amidst a sea of…well, fucking  _water._  "Hurry it up," he growled somewhat shakily. "I don't want to drown."

Eridan pushed up against him comfortingly. "Just hold on."

Karkat clenched his hands tight, then choked in surprise when Eridan lurched forward with shocking grace and power. Even so close to the surface he moved silently, being sure to keep Karkat's head well above the water as he swam. It was…impressive. Karkat had seen Eridan swim before, but he'd never dared to get into the water with him. From this close he could see everything—the way his gills made the fabric of his shirt puff out with every breath, the way the webbing between his fingers flared with each stroke, the way his fins sleeked back against his neck to help his speed. It was beautiful, although Karkat would never admit it aloud.  _Eridan_ was beautiful.

Finally, Eridan turned a little so his head could stick out of the water. "I have to go down to reach the entrance," he informed him. "It's pretty deep, but I can get us there before you run out of breath. You trust me, right?"

Karkat nodded. Tried and fail to keep his hair from plastering itself over his eyes.

"Okay, then. Take a deep breath in three…two…one…"

Karkat sucked in a breath, Eridan dove, and he let his eyes slip closed as the water slicked through his hair and over his skin at an alarming speed. He felt them dropping. The water cooled rapidly, pressure at his ears increased, and his lungs began to burn just slightly.  _Eridan, I swear to god if you let me die down here…_

He needn't have worried, though, because a heartbeat later he felt Eridan draw to a halt, and he opened his eyes to see a door swinging open. Eridan pulled some kind of half-swim-half-walk maneuver through the doorway, and air washed over him like a heavy, humid blanket.

"See?" Eridan purred affectionately, propping Karkat up against him while he choked and spat out the water that had managed to shove its way past his lips. "I told you I wouldn't let you drown."

"My hero," Karkat grumped. "Fuck, is there seaweed in my hair?"

Eridan plucked a soggy leaf from atop his head. "Just a little. But come on, Kar, wasn't that fun? You gotta say it was fun! There's nothin' like gettin' to swim like that."

He bared his teeth, but it was only half serious. "No, you're right about that. Nothing comes close to the sensation of being half a breath from inhaling saltwater."

Eridan batted him over the head playfully, a gentle smile on his face. "Well, it certainly makes you look handsome—I think I can actually see more than an inch of horn while your hair is flattened like that!"

"Oh, fuck off! You look  _just_  as weird with your hair flattened instead of sticking straight up like the pretentious ass you are!"

"Aww, Kar, I'm flattered!"

"Flattered my ass, you piece of—!"

Someone cleared their throat, and Karkat snapped his head up in alarm.

_Oh._

"Karkat," Feferi greeted. She looked tense. "It's…nice to see you."

He grimaced. "Yeah, uh…nice to see you too." He looked to Eridan, then quickly reached up and straightened the drenched collar of his cape. It made him look like a tool, but that was normal. "I brought Eridan."

"I can see that."

Oh, that was  _not_ an amused tone.

"Karkat," Feferi said, "would you care to tell me why someone we're labeling as a prisoner has been completely relieved of restraints?"

"Prisoner?" Karkat echoed. "He's not a prisoner, he's…" Then he paused, realizing that Eridan was pretty much a prisoner.

"He was locked up and bound. How does that make him anything but a prisoner?"

"I…" He hesitated. She was right. "I guess…I didn't want to carry him, so I got the cuffs off of his ankles."

"And his wrists? He doesn't need those to walk, does he?"

"No," he relented. "But I…" Again, he trailed off. What had he wanted, exactly? To make Eridan more comfortable? To convince him that he wasn't really a prisoner?

Feferi shook her head. "Karkat, he is a  _prisoner._ And until we know if we can trust him—which I  _assure you_ , we  _can't—_ he is to be treated as such. Put the cuffs back on him, and I'll take him up to the cell he'll be staying in."

Something twinged deep inside him. Anger, he thought. "How is he supposed to prove we can trust him if he's locked up all the time?"

"We can't risk him doing something to hurt the rebellion!"

"He's not  _going_ to hurt the rebellion. It's true that he didn't mean to end up here, but now that he's with us he's sworn to help us, and I trust him!"

"Rich words coming from the person whose trust landed him on the Imperial Flagship."

Karkat stepped back, hurt. "Feferi…"

"Cuff him," she ordered again. "Hand him over to me."

Karkat opened his mouth, ready to fight, but Eridan beat him to it. "Kar," he murmured. "Let it go."

"But you're—!"

"She's right, you know. I haven't done anythin' to prove I can be trusted. So like I promised, I'll stay right where they want until they're ready to put a little trust in me."

He clenched his teeth. "How is this any different from what happened on the flagship?"

Eridan blinked. "What?"

"On the flagship, you kept doing whatever the Condesce told you to. You locked me up and sent me to the handlers and just did  _everything_ she ordered, even though you knew it wasn't right. Now here I am, about to hand you over to Feferi because she's ordered me to, even though I  _know_ it's not fucking right. What's the difference?"

"The  _difference_ is that I'm willin' to do this," Eridan soothed. He turned, cupping Karkat's cheek. "You're not doin' anythin' I don't want you to, Kar. Give me to her and let her lock me up, and eventually I'll be right back with you. Okay?"

No. It wasn't okay. But if this was what had to happen, what Eridan wanted, then he would do it. "Fine," he rasped. "Give me your wrists."

Eridan stuck his hands out, Karkat cuffed him, then he handed him off to Feferi.

"You'll treat him normally, right?" Karkat asked. "No starving him or any of that shit!"

"We're not inhumane, Karkat," was the impatient response. "He'll be taken care of."

She turned, Eridan shot him one last glance, and then the both of them vanished down the hall.

 

* * *

 

Sollux opened his eyes to see the sloping plains of Beforus spread out before him, and realized immediately that he was right back inside a dream bubble.

_Great,_ he thought, looking around for either his ancestor or his dancestor.  _Where are they? Is one of them on his way over here to yell at me because I'm not following in his footsteps, letting KK take over sole leadership of the rebellion and relegating myself to being his bitch?_

"Yo, Captor!"

He looked up, and sure enough, there he was. The Helmsman. Mituna Captor, post-scratch. " _Fuck_."

Mituna swarmed up to him, a displeased expression on his face. "What did I tell you about giving up leadership of the rebellion? This isn't going to work with you mucking everything up!"

"KK and FF both agree that having one leader isn't going to cut it," he explained. He'd spoken with Feferi about the decision to exclude her from the council, and she'd been completely fine with it. She'd understood without a hitch, and had only asked to be an advisor, to which Sollux had agreed in a heartbeat. "We want to have a council, to be democratic. KK will be one leader, I'll be another, and Ladcai will be the third. When we get more people we'll increase the number of trolls on the council."

"You're dooming yourself," was the snapped response. "If you want to do better this time, you have to follow in your ancestors' footsteps until it's  _absolutely necessary_ to deviate! If you put Karkat in charge like I want, he'll build up the rebellion for as long as he can before he's killed, then Tavros and Vriska will take over and—"

"What?" Sollux hissed. "KK isn't going to die, I won't let him!"

"If you want to win, you have to do everything the way we did it! Once you get as far as we did, you can deviate and go your own way."

"That's not going to work," Sollux insisted. "If we do things the same way you did,  _we will end up dead_. I want to win  _and_ keep KK alive,  _and_ keep myself alive,  _and_ keep  _everyone_ alive. You plan makes no sense!"

"You're being unrealistic."

"No, I'm not! It's not unreasonable to think that I can manage to keep at least some of my friends alive!"

"You're already keeping too many of your friends alive. I've been watching, Sollux. Why haven't you killed Ampora yet? You have him as your prisoner!"

"Because KK was right about him being crucial to building support," he said heatedly. "We have a plan to use him to gain popularity."

"I know your plan. You should still kill him; Karkat is the only person you need to build the rebellion."

"With all due respect, Helmsman, you're wrong. I trust ED as far as I can throw him, but even I realize that we need him at least for this. He'll help us gain the support of some of the upper class, being the former Vice Admiral."

"You need to realize—"

"Why are you so stuck in the past?" Sollux demanded, bristling. "This isn't your fight anymore, it's  _ours—_ and as much as I hate jinxing myself in saying this, we know what we're doing! We have a plan, a strategy to win, and it begins with not just following blindly in your footsteps!"

The Helmsman glared. "You're making a mistake. If  _you_  won't listen your friends will, and they'll lift Karkat above you in a heartbeat."

"What do you mean?"

"I  _mean,_ all the ancestors are speaking to their dancestors right now, other than the Signless himself. They'll convince your friends that following in our footsteps is the only way, and then they'll force you off of that pedestal you've raised yourself on."

"That will never happen," Sollux said. He wasn't so sure, though, and already his heart was beating quicker.

"We'll see."

Sollux took a step back. Then another, and another, until he was steadily putting distance between himself and his ancestor. "Why are you like this? I thought you were supposed to be kind, affectionate, caring!"

"I  _am,_ when I'm dealing with people I love! But right now all I see you as is a snotty, arrogant grub, and there's no room in my heart for someone like that.  _Listen_ to me, then we'll talk about kindness."

He shook his head. "And here I was, thinking that Kankri was the worst person related to any of us."

"No, that would be Cronus."

"Well—okay, fair enough. But you're second worst, and that's hardly any better!"

Mituna tossed his head, indignant. "Take my word now, Sollux. Kill Ampora while you still can. Make sure Feferi isn't a threat by taking off her head. Dissolve your foolish council and give Karkat sole leadership, whether he wants it or not. Then, when he goes to die a martyr, let him. It's the only way you can win."

"What would the Signless say if he knew you were trying to lead his dancestor to his death?"

"He would understand that it was the only way."

Sollux opened his mouth to protest and could only splutter helplessly.

The Helmsman snorted. "Get out of here, Captor. Get out, and only come back once you've realized the inevitability of what you must do."


	25. Who Watches the Heroes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karkat gives a speech, and the rebellion gains a few new members.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From here on out, this will update on Saturdays and Wednesdays. Enjoy!
> 
> This week's chapter is [Who Watches the Heroes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wii3SePlU0) by Really Slow Motion.

"Shit," Karkat whispered, staring in awe at the rebels gathered in the mess hall. "Shit, Sollux, how many of them are there?"

"Nearly four hundred now," was the bored response. "Like I said, we won't really experience a surge in numbers until you make your speech and show your blood color. For now, though, this isn't bad."

No, it really wasn't. Karkat couldn't believe that there were already so  _many_ of them. He'd gone for sweeps thinking there were only ten, and now he was seeing the truth. There were almost four hundred, and still the mess hall wasn't even half full. Not even a  _quarter_ full. Feferi had really outdone herself.

"There were only a few that refused to come live here," Sollux continued. "This is most of them. We'll keep them here and encourage team building and all that bullshit so they actually know each other when they get thrown into a fight. Apparently Feferi has a ballroom that she's offered as a training room, so that'll be good for practice. I've ordered all of them to keep their skills sharp."

"Did you throw your idea of having a council at them yet?"

Sollux shook his head. "I'll do that after you give that speech. So whenever you're ready…"

Karkat paled, asking, "What am I supposed to say? Just…do you want me to get up in front of a camera and blather on about the rebellion?"

"Throwing in a little bit about the slaves should be beneficial. You've been on the flagship, KK, you  _know_ what that hellhole is like. All you need to do is tell them what it was like and call them to arms. Tell them you're the Signless' descendant, and that will be that."

It sounded so easy when he put it like that. But the more Karkat thought about just  _talking_ to the  _entire fucking population of Alternia,_ the more knotted his stomach felt. "Right," he said slowly. "That will be that."

Sollux looked at him sideways. "Are you nervous?"

"No! Of course not!"

"You totally are." Sollux groaned, dropping his head into his hands. "No, no, I thought this would happen. Why don't you practice?"

"Practicing isn't going to do any good if I freeze up in front of the actual camera, fuckass!"

"Practice in front of me, then. And a few others. Maybe saying it in front of a few people will let you get some feedback, and prepare you to say it in front of the whole world. Besides, it's not like you'll be giving the speech live. We're just going to record you, edit a bit, and then broadcast it."

Somehow, that didn't make him feel much better. "You really think it'll help to practice?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll even bring ED in to make it more realistic."

Well… _that_ was certainly a strange move. Sollux had been insistent upon leaving Eridan to rot for the whole week Karkat and the others had been living at the new base. Karkat had only managed to slip away to visit him once or twice, and only for a few minutes at a time before someone came conveniently looking for him. For him to offer to just let Eridan out of his cell…

"KK?" Sollux prompted. "Will that make everything a little better?"

He jolted. "Yeah, it…I think it would. When do you want to do this?"

"How about tonight? I'll gather up a few trolls—no one you don't know, don't worry—and we can work on your speech together."

That was strangely reasonable. "Okay," he said, suspicious. "I'll do it."

 

* * *

 

That night, Karkat jittered with nervousness as he made his way through the halls he was still getting to know, heading to where Sollux had said to meet him and a few friends to practice his speech. He'd done a bit of prewriting, trying to make things less awkward for himself, but he wasn't confident at all. He'd used to be good at speeches, at yelling at everyone and making them do what he wanted, but now…

Well. If he was being honest with himself, he'd lost faith in his leadership skills. And why shouldn't he have? His leadership had led his team into a carbon copy of a dead universe, doomed to wander around a world they'd hoped to leave behind forever.

But none of that mattered now. Sollux needed him to do this, so he would.

Karkat pushed open the double doors that would take him into Feferi's meeting room.

"Hey, Kar!" chirped a familiar voice.

Karkat's lips twitched just slightly upwards as he saw Eridan standing there, guarded by Feferi and Sollux on either side. His hands and ankles were still bound. "Ampora."

Sollux rolled his eyes. "You're late."

"By five minutes!" Karkat snapped. "Be patient, we've got all night!"

"Some of us want to get some sleep, thank you very much!"

"Oh, fuck off, you—"

"Boys!" Aradia cut in. "Can we not do this now? We're here to help Karkat, so that's what we're going to do."

Sollux blinked down at her sheepishly. "Sorry, AA."

"Not to me, to him."

He glared. "Sorry."

Karkat scoffed, "Apology accepted. Now can we do this?"

"Take your place and we'll get started."

Karkat padded further into the room. Other than Sollux, Feferi, and Eridan, he recognized a few of the other trolls in the room. Tavros was there, standing a little too far away from the table in order to make up for his horns, and Gamzee was slumped against the wall with a soft, dopey grin on his face. He thought he recognized the troll Sollux called Ladcai, who handled a lot of the communications issues and network failures, and sitting to one side of him was a fair-skinned troll that, to his surprise, he recognized immediately.

"Synlan?" he asked slowly. "That's your name, right?"

Synlan offered him a bright smile. There were scars across his face. "You got it! I was the one that greeted you when you first woke up on the Vice Admiral's ship, remember?"

He did. "Holy fuck, you're alive?"

"Barely, but yep! I made it out! Ampora over there decided to let one of the remaining prisoners go to deliver Sollux a message, and I was the one he chose."

"Damn," Karkat breathed, "I can't believe you actually lived."

"It's a miracle, to be sure."

Gamzee chuckled just as Sollux interrupted with, "Can we get going already?" Then, to Eridan, "Sit down next to Karkat. Here, I'll undo your hands."

Karkat raised a brow. Untying Eridan and everything? Now  _that_  was dedication.

"You got it," Eridan said obediently. His wrists were free a moment later, then he was moving to sit beside Karkat at the meeting table. "Lookin' nice today, Kar," he teased, a smile on his face. "The bags under your eyes are a real fashion statement."

"Just like your droopy hair. When exactly is Sollux going to provide you with the truckload of hair gel you need to get that mess to stick straight up?"

Eridan laughed.

"Let's  _focus!"_ Sollux snapped. He sat at the opposite end of the table from Karkat, Feferi taking her place at his side, and everyone else soon slid into place around the table. "Now, KK, why don't you run through what you have so far?"

He took a deep breath.  _Here we go._  "I, uh…" He gulped. "I r-realize that you may not have the most positive of opinions towards us after, um, current events, but I'm sending this message to you in hopes that you will hear our situation—hear  _your_ situation—a-and understand me when I say that this concerns not just the efforts of one group of rebels, but the entirety of Alternia and its future." Another swallow, rasping and dry. His hands shook.  _Fuck, why is this so hard for me? I used to be good at this!_  "We face the cold and harsh truth that…um, that control of Alternia has been wrenched from the people by a tyrant that should have ceased to rule more than six sweeps ago, but that instead seized more and more power, shoving the fates of trolls under her thumb. We—I mean, the  _rebels_ —we want to—"

"Cut, cut, cut!" Sollux yelped, and Karkat shrank back in his seat. "KK, what the fuck are you saying? You're stuttering more than Tavros!"

"I'm sorry!" he tried. "I just…I don't know why I can't do this anymore!"

"Well you'd better figure it out, because we need you to give this speech! We can't just sit here and listen to you blather on forever, you have to get it right!"

"Hey," Eridan said, "go easy on him! It's hard, giving a speech to the entire planet."

'This isn't the entire planet, this is six trolls. He should be able to handle it. That is, unless he's  _weak."_

Karkat whipped his head up. "I'm not fucking weak!"

"Oh yeah? Well it sure as fuck seems like it to me! You're sitting there blabbering like a wiggler, unable to spit out more than a few words without pausing and fumbling over what you're trying to say! Who's going to follow someone like that?"

"Captor, don't—!"

"You need to pull yourself together," Sollux interrupted with a snarl. "Playtime is over, KK. I know you were traumatized or what the fuck ever by what happened on the flagship, but that doesn't matter right now! All that matters is the fact that  _something_ this Rohdan person did to you seems to have disconnected your mouth from your heart, and that's  _not_ what we're looking for!"

Eridan's eyes widened. "Woah, Sol, you need to calm—"

"I  _can't_  calm down! We need KK to deliver this speech, need him to wrench his foot out of his mouth, and it needs to happen right now! If I'd known you were going to be this useless to us, maybe I should have left you on the ship where you belonged!"

Silence. Karkat stared in horror, expression mirrored by Gamzee and Eridan. Everyone else seemed strangely calm, almost  _knowing,_ but that wasn't important as Karkat just  _gaped,_ struggling to figure out what was going on, because there was  _no way_ Sollux had just said that to him.

"You're useless to me," Sollux growled again, and suddenly all that confusion was shot through with  _fury._

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Karkat hissed. He was standing before he willed himself to so much as move a finger. "Do you have any idea what I went through on the flagship? What  _all_ lowbloods go through on that ship? They fucking beat all of us down and treat us like animals, like  _slaves,_ because that's what we are to them! Not all highbloods, no, but to the Condesce and those who serve her. We're  _animals._  We're not allowed to say no, no matter what happens. How would you feel, going through that? What right do you have to criticize  _me?_  At least I have a real purpose to fight in this rebellion, other than wanting revenge on the Condesce! Because that  _isn't_ what this is about, not really. You can say you're fighting to defeat the Condesce—and you  _are_ , of  _course_  you are—but that's not what's at the heart of this rebellion. What's at the heart of this rebellion is  _justice,_ is  _freedom,_ because you know as well as I do that what that bitch is doing is completely, inherently  _wrong!_  She has no right to treat me like that, to treat lowbloods like that! Everyone's  _so_ afraid of her, though, afraid that she'll turn on them and beat them down, too, and reduce them to nothing but ash—and none of the populous ever realizes that there are about a hundred thousand of them and only one of her! There are way more lowbloods than the comparatively pitiful number of highbloods that support the Condesce, if we'd just band together it would be  _completely_ possible, but no one is concerned with that! No one seems to care enough other than the rebels, and  _that's_ why I was captured, that's why  _so many lowbloods_ are shipped off to become slaves! It only happened because everyone's too self-absorbed to realize that together we could actually end this shitstorm of an Empire and institute something even  _remotely_ democratic. So before you blame me for this, blame them! Blame the fuckers that stood down, that  _still_ stand down every single day, and let people like me be taken to serve as the Condesce's  _bitch_."

His chest was heaving by the time he was done, and Sollux was staring at him with a delighted glint in his eye.

"Kar is right," Eridan put in. "It's no lowblood's fault that they end up on the flagship, you shouldn't be blamin' him. You should be blamin' the Condecse, and blamin' the people that refuse to stand up to her. She's the reason things have gotten this bad, the reason we have to stand up to her in the first place. Hell, if  _I_ could realize that as her former Vice Admiral, then surely you should understand."

"You served as the Vice Admiral for almost four sweeps," Sollux pointed out softly, dangerously. "How do we know we can trust you?"

"Are you fuckin' kiddin' me? I gave up everythin' to save Karkat, because he's the Signless' dancestor and I  _knew_ he belonged here with the rebellion. It's true that being here now is a fluke, that I intended to send him here alone—but I'm here now, I've forsaken the Empire, and you're a fuckin' idiot if you think I'm doin'  _anythin'_ to hurt the rebellion after I sent you its herald. I'll be here until either the Condesce is slaughtered like the tyrant she is, or until someone manages to off me in battle. Simple as that."

"Woah, he's the Signless' dancestor?" Ladcai broke in, eyes wide. "What?"

"Yes I fucking am!" Karkat snapped. "I've got the blood to prove it!" Without thinking he raised his arm and clawed over his wrist, letting scarlet liquid bead from the slice and drip to the table below. "I'm his dancestor, complete wreck though I may be, and apparently I've been saddled with helping lead this rebellion so that's what I'm going to do! I don't care what Captor says, I  _can_ deliver this speech, I  _can_ convince the people to rally behind me, and I  _will_ win this war and free all those helpless slaves on board that flagship! And what's more, I'm going to do it way more efficiently and a thousand times more quickly than the Signless ever could have  _hoped_ to do it, and with one half his power! I've already got Dualscar and the Grand Highblood's dancestors fighting for the rebellion, as well as the Condesce's descendant herself, even though she refuses to maintain any sort of political power, and with that kind of firepower we'll gather enough support to tear through the Condesce in a  _heartbeat_. The populous will follow me, because they'll know that to forsake me will be to accept perpetual subjugation at the hands of the Empire!"

Once again, there was silence. But this time it was broken by a loud, gleeful laugh, and a call of, "KK, that was perfect!"

He froze. "What?"

Sollux waved a hand. "Synlan, stop the recording!"

"Recording…?" Karkat echoed, stunned. "The fuck?"

Synlan just nodded. "Done and done, Sollux. We got everything we need. A little editing, a few jumpcuts, and a good zoom in on his eyes right when he's talking about being the Signless' dancestor, and we've struck gold."

Understanding washed through him. "You little shit," Karkat whispered. "You fucking provoked me!"

"Sure did, KK, and it worked like a charm!"

"Hey!" Eridan whined, catching on a moment later. "Are you serious? You really just tricked us?"

Sollux just grinned wolfishly. "Yep. And now we've got the perfect footage to work with. We'll doctor it a little to make it sound better, then I'll broadcast it onto every screen on Alternia."

"You sneaky fuck. Who else was in on this?"

Everyone except Eridan looked away sheepishly.

"Oh my god. Gamzee?"

The juggalo blinked earnestly at him. "I didn't know the specifics, Karbro, I swear! I never would have let him motherfucking talk to you like that if I had. They just said they were gonna up and trick you into giving a speech, and I…I didn't think it would be that big a motherfucking deal."

"God," he groaned. "You're lucky I'm so pale for you, otherwise I'd be fucking pissed. Actually, I  _am_ pissed—Sollux, you're fucking  _dead!"_

"Hey, it worked, didn't it?" Sollux said, raising his hands. "By the end of the day everyone will know that the rebellion is being supported by not just the descendant of the Signless, but by the dancestors of the Grand Highblood and Dualscar as well. I'd say that went swimmingly."

"Ooh, good one!" Feferi giggled. "Yes, you were  _perfect_ , Karkat! Thank you!"

"Good, um, job," Tavros threw in.

Ladcai nodded. "Yeah, that's sure to grab us some attention."

Karkat glanced to Eridan, and was happy to see that he looked just as stunned, just as confused as he did. "Fuck," the seadweller summarized, and Karkat agreed wholeheartedly.

"Don't be mad," Sollux teased. "You just gave a riveting speech."

He hated him. He really, truly hated him.

 

* * *

 

"Nepeta, if you would be so kind, will you hand me impact driver?"

"Here you go!"

"Hmm…and I think I will be needing the heat gun as well. If you would…?"

"Got it!"

There was a pause. Then the sound of heavy machinery whirring, the shriek of metal on metal, and a few bolts bouncing to the ground. "Router, please."

"That one's right next to you, Equius!"

He paused. Then, "Oh—thank you, I seem to have forgotten that I placed it there."

Nepeta offered him a bright, excitable grin. "Aww, don't worry about it! You're such a mess sometimes, sillyface! You're lucky I got to stay here and help you forever and ever!"

"Forever and ever," Equius echoed. "Rubber mallet, if you would."

She handed the tool over without a word. Then, "What are you even doing?"

"The Empress asked me to look over the most current model of drone for structural weakness around the helm," was the response. "I thought I'd crack into the wiring while I was at it, make sure nothing was damaged by the experimental dashpots I placed over the topmost joints to increase control of fine motor functions. Can't have the drones just swinging their arms around without any sort of friction counterpoint, can we?"

"Uhh…" Nepeta rolled on the table she was lying on, hanging upside down and sticking her head off the dented surface. "Right…we can't have that!" Then, when Equius worked in silence for a moment too many, she prompted, "Equius?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I turn on the TV again?"

"Nepeta, how many times must I remind you that the television is purely there for the purpose of informing me as to—"

"Sweatquius! Let me turn on the TV!"

"Nepeta—"

"Come on, meanie! Just for a few minutes? I'm bored!"

Equius groaned. "Will you let me work in peace for a few minutes if I say yes? Just a few?"

"I promise!"

"Then turn it on, but please endeavor to keep the volume low! All this unpleasantness concerning lowblood revolution lately has made my stomach rather upset."

Nepeta brightened immediately. "Yay! Thank you, Equius!" She pounced on the remote and clicked on the TV eagerly. Equius hated the thing, had only had it installed because Nepeta had begged, and even then he rarely wanted her to turn it on. It was a bit frustrating, she thought, especially seeing as she didn't really have a job in the workshop other than handing Equius tools and filling out paperwork whenever he was a little too overwhelmed with orders. She'd been allowed to stay as his assistant despite her status as a midblood, but sometimes she wondered if being so bored every day was worth it.

She flicked the TV on and messed around with the controls for a while. "Gee, that rebellion sure is building strength! I wonder if the Empire is going to comment on it anytime soon."

"I imagine they'll simply appear and blast the lowblood filth off the face of the planet, no comment necessary."

"Aww, that's so mean!"

"It's proper. They rebel against authority, and they are immediately beaten down. It's how our society must work."

Nepeta frowned and flicked to the next channel.

Then she blinked. "Equius?"

"What is it, Nepeta?"

"Is…is that Sollux?"

_"What?"_ Equius looked up in alarm.

"Look!" Nepeta pointed at the TV. There was a scene playing out there, Sollux standing in front of the camera and talking about the rebellion and rebel forces and killing the Empire. "Ooh, that  _is_  Sollux!"

"He's involved with the rebellion?" Equius asked. "I thought he was dead!"

"Well obviously he's not, silly!" Nepeta swatted at the screen excitedly. "Look, he's fine! And he's helping to lead the rebellion!"

"How inappropriate!" Equius gasped. "He should know that—!"

"Oh! Oh, Equius, there's Karkat!"

"Karkat? The hemononymous filth?"

"Hey, don't call him filth! I like him!" She looked up at the screen. Sure enough, that was Karkat. A few sweeps older, slightly haggard, a little worn, but it was him just the same. And Eridan was beside him, with Sollux sitting across the table, Tavros to the side, and Gamzee not far off. "So many of our friends are there!"

"Hardly our friends, if they've sided with the rebels. I'd heard that Eridan betrayed the Condesce, but I never thought he'd sink so low as to join up with the rebellion."

"Shh, I'm trying to listen!"

They fell silent, then, and Karkat spoke. Every word made Equius more and more visibly nervous, made Nepeta more and more excited, until the speech reached a point that made both trolls jerk their heads up in shock.

_"Are you fuckin' kiddin' me?"_ Eridan was snarling. " _I gave up everythin' to save Karkat, because he's the Signless' dancestor and I knew he belonged here with the rebellion!"_

Equius sucked in a harsh, damp breath. "He's what?"

"No way…" Nepeta whispered. Karkat had never let them know anything about his ancestor, and they'd never encountered him in the bubbles, so they genuinely hadn't known about his heritage. "He's the Sufferer's dancestor!"

"No. That's impossible. I refuse to believe that—!"

Then Karkat clawed at his own wrist, spilled his bright red blood, and Equius's eyes went wide as saucers.

"Wow," Nepeta said. "Look at that! His blood is candy red!"

"A mutant!" Equius exclaimed, but there was an odd lilt to his words. "I…"

"Equius? Are you okay?"

He jerked his head to one side. "Forgive me," he said hurriedly, wiping sweat from his brow. "I…I think I need to sleep, to commune with—with an old friend."

Her lips quirked downward. Equius had been talking about having dreams lately, where he slipped back into the bubbles and spoke with his ancestor. She hadn't experienced anything of the sort, but Equius seemed dead convinced that his dreams were real. "Really? In the middle of the day?"

"I must ask his advice," was the rushed response. "There—there are many things that I need to know."

"Equius!" Nepeta called again, but he was already clattering out of the room, knocking tools and equipment off of tables as he went. Nepeta was left to watch the rest of Karkat's speech in silence, then the brief clip of Sollux giving a conclusion and calling the populous to action.  _Wow…Karkitty's alive! And not just that, he's the Sufferer's dancestor! A leader! A major part of the rebellion!_

_I should help him,_ was her immediate thought, but then she stopped as she realized that she couldn't just  _leave_  Equius. She was his moirail! He needed her! But Karkat…he would need her too! She could help him!

"Agh!" she complained, slapping her palms lightly into her cheeks. "It's so simple, silly! You just have to convince Equius to help Karkitty with you! I like him more than I like the Empire, anyway, and I bet he could use our help!"

Yes, it was the perfect plan! She could convince Equius to abandon the Empire, and then they would go join the rebellion together!

Heh…well, maybe it would be a little harder than that to convince someone as blue as Equius to abandon his duties. But still! She had to try!

Feeling better than she had in a long time, Nepeta bounced off and followed Equius to bed.

The Disciple awaited her in her dreams.

 

* * *

 

Time passed, then, and Karkat watched in awe.

In the first three days, they doubled the number of recruits. Apparently Eridan had been more right than he realized when he spoke of the Signless' cult, because most of those initial recruits approached Karkat with reverence in their eyes and promises of undying loyalty on their lips. The barracks and the mess hall looked fuller than ever, but still not quite at half capacity.

Two days later, they were up to well over a thousand members. The new recruits just kept coming, mostly lowbloods, some high, all having been inspired Karkat's impassioned speech and his blood color and the presence of Eridan and Gamzee (their ancestors were well known, after all, and the fact that Eridan had been the Vice Admiral didn't hurt). Karkat observed in a stunned sort of shock as more and more rebels just appeared out of nowhere and asked to join the cause. A good number of their recruits even came from the on-world military.

It was stunning. In less than a week, they'd obtained enough manpower to almost pose some kind of a threat. With this amount of force, if they just applied their power correctly…maybe they could actually get something done.

_We don't need to have enough people to overpower the Condesce,_ Karkat thought. _We just need to have enough to hit the right structural weak points, the exact right places to send the entire Empire toppling to its knees. And right now…I think we might actually be able to do this._

It was a truly terrifying thought.

 

* * *

 

Karkat was lounging in the main room, Aradia, Tavros, and Gamzee all hanging around him, when the door was suddenly slammed open by a haze of red and blue psionics.

"What the fuck?" Karkat yelped, jolting to his feet as the other occupants of the room quickly jumped upright. "Sollux, what's happening?"

"What's happening?" he echoed, a manic grin on his face. "What's happening is the next stage of our plan."

"I didn't realize we had that already," Aradia said. "What are we doing?"

Sollux's grin widened. "I've been talking with some of the recruits from the on-world military, and they've given me some valuable information about how the base is run. I think that if we go about this carefully, the right way, we can take it for ourselves."

Silence. Four pairs of eyes stared at Sollux in shock.

Then, "What?" Karkat whispered. "You want us to—?"

"Yeah, KK. We're taking the on-world military base. And then, once we've done that, we're going straight for the Condesce."


	26. Open Your Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm EXHAUSTED today, so this might not be as well edited as usual...I feel like I've been put through a wood chipper. In any case, I hope you enjoy!
> 
> This week's chapter is [ Open Your Eyes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZHzYlgdzPQ) by Audiomachine.

"You're insane," Karkat realized, staring at Sollux in shock. "You can't honestly be expecting us to just take over the on-world military, can you? We've just barely gained enough rebels to stand a chance in a real fight! If you throw them away without a thought, we'll just be right back where we started."

Sollux still hadn't stopped grinning. "We can do it. KK, the recruits practically handed me blueprints to the base."

_"I've_ given you blueprints," Aradia said. "What makes you think that you're suddenly strong enough to take the entire base? Has all the sudden publicity gotten to your head?"

"No, AA, of course not!" Sollux protested. "It's just that we  _finally_ have enough trolls to put up a decent fight, and some of the information I've gotten from the other recruits has been really valuable. I'm pretty sure that if we plan it correctly the base will be ours—and once we have control of the military, we can call the Condesce down to us and kill her once and for all."

Karkat stared. Then, "Nope, you're definitely still insane. Sorry, Sollux no can do! Do you honestly think these idiots will be ready to attack the military base not two weeks after they agreed to join up with us?"

"Ladcai handled admissions," Sollux said. "No one that's here is going to back down. If I ordered them to—"

"What's this about  _you_ ordering them?" Aradia cut in. "I thought we agreed that there would be a council. Unless the other members agree, you can't do anything."

"Then they'll agree! Ladcai will be on board, I'm sure of it, and KK—"

"KK isn't agreeing to shit!" Karkat snapped. "This is stupid, Captor! We should be honing our skills, letting the rebels train together and get to know each other and just get acquainted with each other and their situation! Launching a major attack right now is idiotic this early on. Send them after a few minor targets, sure, but not the entire on-world military!"

"We have to move  _now!_  I have a strategy, like I said, we can take the military base for ourselves!"

Karkat bared his teeth. "Well, I'm not going to agree to it."

"Then I'll go against you and give the order anyway!"

"Sollux, you  _can't_ ," Aradia reminded him. "You already told the rebels how leadership worked here, and most of them are on board with having three leaders for now. If you give them an order, they're going to want to know that the other people you've appointed are behind you.  _Especially_ Karkat, who brought most of them here in the first place."

"Well then, what am I supposed to do?" Sollux demanded. "I'm telling you, this is our only option!"

Karkat just shook his head, bristling with anger. "No it's not. We can start small, order attacks on a few minor targets just to practice. The more land we own around the city, the easier it will be when we go for the on-world military and attempt to surround their troops."

Sollux jerked his head up, saying, "So you're agreeing to go after the on-world military?"

"Of  _course_ I'm agreeing, you idiot! If we want to win, that's something we'll have to do sooner or later. But for now, let's just take things a little slower and conquer smaller areas around the city." Karkat moved to the table in the center of the room, where a map was laid out. He ducked his head low. "Look—there are all these zones in the area outside the city, military outposts we can use to gain a bit of footing and practice with the new recruits at the same time. If we take those outposts, you'll have convinced me that we're  _somewhat_  fucking capable of actually causing damage to the Empire."

"That's a waste of time! If we just take the military base itself—"

"I'm not agreeing to launch an attack on the base until we prove we're strong enough to conquer those outposts."

Sollux growled. "And once we do that, you'll agree to leading an attack on the military base?"

"Yes. Oh—and I have one more condition."

"What's that?"

"Eridan goes free."

"What?" Sollux hissed, echoed momentarily by Aradia. "That's non-negotiable, KK, and you know it! I can't just let ED run around having him prove that he's not going to hurt anyone!"

"Then we'll treat this mission like a test! Send the both of us and a few others out to one of the outposts, and we'll see if he's really on our side when he's asked to blast through Empire troops."

"The Condesce wouldn't care if ED had to kill a few of her troops—if she sent him to infiltrate, he'd off them without a second thought!"

"Oh, god," Karkat groaned. "Why can't you just trust me?"

"You, I trust. ED? Not so much."

He snarled, slamming his fist down on the table with a massive  _thunk._  "Goddamnit, Sollux, give him a chance! Send him on this mission, watch what he does, and then you can decide whether or not you trust him from there."

"I won't trust him."

"Then assign him a guard, just don't keep him locked up anymore! He's been behind bars for over two weeks now, and I know from experience how hellish that is."

Sollux looked away, and Karkat knew he was at least thinking about it. "Fine. I'll fix you with a camera and an audio bug during the mission, and send you with Eridan. You  _can't_ tell him about the surveillance equipment, otherwise the test is void. And if that equipment goes offline for even a moment, it's the same deal! I want a  _complete_ record of what happens while you're in the field."

Considering the circumstances, it was probably the best deal he was going to get. "Fine, you've got a deal. When do you want to make a move?"

"As soon as I come up with another plan,  _this_  one to get control of those outposts. You don't want to stick your nose into  _that,_ too, do you?"

"I have approximately zero interest in messing around with your shitty strategies. Happy?"

Sollux looked like he was about half a second from jumping over the table to strangle him. Still he managed to grit out, "Just go see Ladcai to pick up the surveillance equipment, and I'll let you know when I come up with a plan. AA, can you give me a rundown of security on those outposts?"

"Of course," she said. "The guard towers are normally guarded by one squadron at a time, with switch-off times running between…"

She kept going, but Karkat was already stepping out of the room. The sooner he picked up the surveillance equipment the sooner he could get Eridan out of that tiny cell. The seadweller had been locked up too long already, and quite honestly, it was pissing him off. Eridan wasn't perfect, had done a  _shitload_ of horrible things that he would never really be forgiven for, but he didn't deserve to be locked up like that. Not if he was willing to redeem himself, to change, to  _try._

Ladcai was, as expected, waiting in the communications room. He was the one that monitored the radio waves and tried to pick up military transmissions. Karkat hadn't spoken to him much, maybe two or three times since he'd moved into the palace nearly two weeks ago, but he'd quickly come to like him. He was quick, efficient. Not a pain in the ass like Sollux.

"Hey, Karkat!" the troll greeted, looking back as Karkat pushed his way into the communications room. "What brings you here?"

Karkat kicked the door closed and made his way further into the cluttered room. "My dick of a kismesis sent me to pick up some surveillance equipment."

"Oh, what kind? Cameras, audio bugs, wire taps…?"

"Something I can wear on a mission and not have it pop off in combat. I'm supposed to watch Eridan constantly."

"The Vice Admiral, huh?" Ladcai hummed. "Okay, hang on, I think I can find something for you." The troll got to his feet and walked over to the pile of boxes sitting off to one side. He riffled through the nearest one with a frown. "Everything from the lab is here, and I know Sollux had a few spare bugs around here…ah, here they are!" He turned around holding a pair of goggles. "I think this is what he meant."

"What the fuck are those?" Karkat demanded. "They look like a wiggler tried to draw glasses!"

"Well, that's not too far off what happened." Ladcai held them up and tapped the lenses. "They're electronic. Record and store whatever the user sees, and throw in audio to boot. If you wear 'em, Sollux'll get what he asked for."

Karkat took the goggles when they were offered to him. They were surprisingly light and unobtrusive, considering the technology housed within. "Are they durable? It's going be a fight, not a casual night out."

"Just don't faceplant into any walls and you'll be fine."

"That's the best I'm going to get, isn't it?"

"Well, considering the fact that our next smallest set of surveillance equipment is about the size of your head, I'd say yes."

"Great." Karkat slid the goggles into his sylladex with a snap. "Well, thanks. I guess you'll be monitoring the signal these things put out, right?"

"Sure will! Don't worry, I'll make sure the signal doesn't go down."

That was actually halfway comforting, considering that a part of the deal was making sure that the transmission wasn't interrupted. "Thanks, Ladcai."

"Don't mention it! That's my job, you know."

"Yeah, well…" He turned. "It would be nice of a few  _other_ assholes around here learned how to do their jobs."

"You have a point there, my friend. No question about it."

 

* * *

 

A few hours later Sollux found himself making the trek to Eridan's cell, Feferi storming after him in an attempt to dissuade him from the deal he'd made with Karkat. He didn't particularly  _want_ to see Eridan—he'd been doing his best to avoid him thus far—but if he was going to let him out to go on a mission with Karkat, he figured he owed him at least one visit. Of course, that had prompted Feferi to tag along and snap at him the whole way there.

"I just think you're being unreasonable!" she was insisting. "Eridan has done nothing but bad his entire life, and the fact that you're even considering letting him out on the field is honestly just astounding!"

"What else am I supposed to do?" Sollux asked tiredly. "KK won't agree to support my plan to attack the on-world military until I let ED out, and the rebels aren't going to follow just me. Most of them came here for  _him."_

"Yes, but it's still two against one! Ladcai will stand with you, and—"

"That's not going to matter. Like I said, the majority of the rebels are here to serve KK, because of his ancestry. Fuck, the Signless'  _cult_  is sitting in the mess hall right now! It doesn't matter if both Ladcai and I go against him, KK is still going to have the upper hand in leadership. The instant he realizes how he could abuse that, he might as well just throw me out on my ass and take over the rebellion himself."

"It's unbalanced," Feferi had to agree, "I'll give you that. But Karkat would never do that, and you  _know_ it! And that's beside the point! We're not here to argue about leadership, we're here to talk about how much of an idiot you're being for going along with Karkat's half-brained scheme to get his treacherous little pet project out of prison!"

Sollux turned a corner. They were almost there. "I don't like it any more than you do, FF. And believe me, I'll be monitoring every minute of that mission. Drunia's going with them, as well as a few others, and they'll all be instructed to gun ED down the instant he shows any signs of betrayal."

"Still, it's not smart."

"I know it isn't. But I need KK's support, and this is the only way I'm going to get it."

Feferi scrunched up her features adorably, but said nothing more as she followed Sollux to where Eridan had been locked up. There wasn't really a prison in the castle (Feferi was working on that), so the seadweller had been shoved into a small, dingy room that had used to be a broom closet. There was a recuperacoon, which was more than the traitor deserved, and a small door leading off to a bathroom, but that was the extent of his luxury. Not a whole lot of room to live, but, Eridan didn't  _deserve_ a whole lot of room. He was lucky he'd gotten this much.

Sollux drew to a halt outside the heavily locked door. "Well, here we are. Try not to tear his head off, okay, FF?"

Feferi looked away sharply. "Let's just do this."

He nodded. Then he held out a hand, concentrated, and the keys to the door popped out of his sylladex and into his hand. He unlocked the door without a word. Pushed it open. Then, there he was.

Eridan was lying on the room's singular dingy cot, facing the door, eyes half-closed as if he'd just been awakened by the door swinging open. He jerked into a sitting position the instant he saw Sollux and Feferi standing in the doorway. "Sol? Fef?"

Sollux swallowed down just a portion of his anger and let the door swing closed behind him. He had to keep his cool here, at least to a degree. He had to explain the mission.

Feferi apparently had no such reservations.

"You're still alive, I see," she spat. "Haven't had the decency to disappear or die yet."

Eridan looked like he'd been kicked. "Fef…?"

"You've caused us enough problems already," was the venomous response. Her fins twitched once, twice, then spread wide in an obvious threat display. "It's bad enough that you had the nerve to come back to Alternia in the first place, but now you're deceiving one of the rebellion leaders the same way you once deceived me! How long is it until you suck Karkat dry, huh? Wear him into the ground, smother him like an overbearing lusus? Do you run your matespritships the same way you run your moirallegiances? One sided and pumped full of insecurities?"

Eridan didn't even attempt to echo Feferi's display with one of his own. His fins stayed flat, shoulders hunched, head lowered just slightly. "I've grown, Fef," he tried, voice soft and rasping. "I'm not the same person I was back then."

Feferi turned up her nose. "No, you're not. You're much, much worse."

The seadweller flinched. "I-I'm…I'm sorry about what happened back before the game. I know I never said it, but I am. And I swear, I'm not treatin' Kar the same way I treated you. I'm not suckin' him dry."

"I've seen no evidence to the contrary!" Feferi snipped. "I don't trust you with him, and I don't trust you with the rebellion!"

"Fef, I don't…"

Sollux stepped in before things could get any worse. "We're not here to hash out old quadrant drama. Let's focus."

Feferi jerked her head to one side. "Fine!"

Eridan said nothing.

"Okay," Sollux said. "ED, we're here because  _someone_ has made a very specific request that you be given a chance to prove that you're not out to kill us all."

"Kar?" Eridan asked, and his expression went so dumbly affectionate that Sollux wanted to deck him right across the face.

"KK," Sollux affirmed through gritted teeth. "He wants to give you a chance—and as much as I hate it, I don't really have much of a choice. So here's what's going to happen: you're going to go with KK and a few others to take one of the military outposts in the surrounding area. You're not going to know when you're leaving, what the plan is, or which outpost you're going to. All you need to do is whatever KK tells you, and if you prove you're not just going to turn and kill everyone…well, we'll talk about what happens then."

"Will you give me the Crosshairs back?" Eridan asked. "Can't exactly fight without 'em."

"I'll be giving your weapon to KK. He'll give it to you when he sees fit."

Eridan's eyes lit up. He knew, as Sollux knew, that Karkat would probably give him the Crosshairs the instant they were outside the base.  _He trusts him too much._

"I have to warn you," Sollux said, before he realized he was saying it. "That's why I'm here. To warn you."

"About what?" Eridan asked, confused.

"About KK."

Eridan deflated. "Oh."

Sollux blew right past the weary exclamation. "I've said it before, but I'm going to kill you if you do anything to hurt him."

"I know, Sol, I won't—hey!"

Sollux didn't let up. Psionic energy crackled around Eridan's neck like a collar, searing the skin just slightly and sending a disgusting smell clouding up into the air. "I'm  _serious._ If you even  _think_ about hurting KK, hurting the rebellion, then just remember that my gun, at least, will  _always_ be trained on your back. And the instant I even  _think_ you're  _about_ to step out of line, I'll blow your brains out all over KK."

"You'll scar him for life," Eridan said. "You can't!"

"If you're that concerned about scarring him, then you should just resign yourself to serving the rebellion without question!"

Eridan's eyes flashed. "I'll serve  _Karkat._  That's why I'm here. Anything he says, I'll do. No matter what it is."

"Yeah?" Sollux sneered. "Well you'd better  _prove_ that during this mission, otherwise I'll make sure you never leave this place again."

"That's a threat from the both of us, too," Feferi put in. "I know how lecherous you can be, Eridan, and I'm  _not_ letting you do that to another troll. Prove yourself, or else."

"Or else," Eridan echoed bitterly. "Okay, Sol, Fef. I'll make you believe me."

"See that you do." Sollux turned for the door. "We'll be back soon. Make sure you're well rested and ready to fight."

 

* * *

 

Sollux had a plan. After a day of sitting around in the meeting room pulling his hair out, he'd finally put together exactly which rebels would be going where, and when. In all honesty, the planning itself hadn't been difficult. What had been difficult was knowing that in a few days, Karkat was going to run off with Eridan and put himself in a situation where he could easily be stabbed in the back.

But that didn't matter now, he supposed. He had to  _trust_ Karkat, apparently, trust him to take care of Eridan and himself, to watch his own back when things got tough. So. He'd developed his plan, and called a meeting to tell the rebels what would be going on. It was strange, knowing that he was about to address them for the first time as a group. Up until now the only contact he'd had with the collective body of rebels had been over the television, when he'd addressed them before and after Karkat's speech. Now…

"You ready to do this?" Karkat asked gruffly. The feisty redblood was standing just to his right, with Ladcai to his left and Gamzee, Feferi, Aradia, and Tavros behind him. The lot of them were gathered in an area right next to a balcony overlooking the mess hall, with the rebels waiting down and behind the pair of double doors.

"Do what?" Sollux asked sarcastically. "Go out and tell a massive group of newly recruited rebels that it's time to go on their first mission as a team and take out about a dozen outposts?"

"Yeah," Karkat snorted, "just about. I mean,  _I'm_ ready to whip those idiots into shape, but are you?"

Sollux shoved him. "I'm perfectly prepared. Ladcai has already run all the screening tests on all those assholes out there, and we know exactly what each of their skill levels is, so there's no way this can go wrong."

"Famous last words," was the answering sneer. "But this is for the good of everyone, so let's just get this over with. I'm not eager about group speaking."

Sollux rolled his eyes and pushed forward. "KK, Ladcai, you're with me, obviously. We're the people the rebels will answer to. The rest of you, stay back a little along the double doors. I want the rebels to be able to see you."

"They'll wonder where Eridan is," Karkat warned in a singsong voice. "He should be here, Sollux."

"But he's not, so we'll deal with it."

Now it was Karkat's turn to roll his eyes. "Fine, whatever. Let's go."

Sollux was tempted to snap back, but he knew there were more important things at work. He moved, pushed the double doors leading to the balcony wide open, and walked out to the edge of the raised platform.

Wow, uh…there were a  _lot_ of rebels. He'd never seen them gathered in one place. Over the past two and a half weeks Ladcai had told him that there were thousands of them now, had complained at length about having to test and catalogue the skills of every single one, but even then Sollux hadn't understood the scope of what the rebellion had become.

"Damn," Karkat breathed, following him out. He, too, seemed stunned. Humbled, maybe. "This…"

"This is real," Sollux whispered. Because he understood that up until now, seeing them all together, the numbers Ladcai had thrown out there had felt like a dream. "KK, you did this."

Karkat just shook his head in astonishment. "Fuck. I've gotten all these bastards killed."

"No you haven't!" Sollux growled. "We're going to do this." He reached for the headset he'd fitted himself with, flicking on the mic. "Hey assholes, look up here!"

Karkat snickered. "Wow. Tactful."

Sollux shot him a short glare. The rebels were quieting down, the din that had formerly filled the room dropping to a dull murmur, then a few stray whispers, then nothing. It seemed that the trolls had bonded well enough over the time they'd been in the castle, at least. There hadn't been any fights, and everyone seemed surprisingly pleased. Surprisingly  _peaceful,_ other than the times where they would spar together and sometimes come away with a scrape or two.

"Good," Sollux sighed, then winced as he realized his microphone was still on. He slapped a hand over the fuzzy bit. "KK, Ladcai, get up here!" he hissed. "Where they can see you!"

Ladcai shrugged and stepped right up to the banister, but Karkat moved more slowly. He almost looked afraid, like the instant he got too close to the crowd they'd either kill him or disappear entirely.

_That's right,_ Sollux thought.  _All those trolls down there know about his blood color. If any of them were hemophobic, they could easily take a shot at him from all the way down there. It must be nerve wracking._

Sollux cleared his throat and uncovered the mic. The sooner he got this over with, the sooner they would be able to prepare for the mission. "This is our first meeting in the castle, so it seems like it would be a good idea to formally introduce ourselves." He waved a hand to the two trolls standing next to him. "That there is Ladcai. You should know him from the preliminary exams all of you were put through before you were allowed to roam the compound freely. This is Karkat Vantas, descendant of the Signless, the Sufferer, or whatever the fuck else you want to call him. Behind me are several of the higher ranked officers of the rebellion, who will be happy to introduce themselves to you if you see them around the base. And as I'm sure you know by now, I'm Sollux Captor. The person who started this rebellion in the first place. I'll be the one issuing the majority of the commands here, but rest assured that I have the support of both the other councilmembers."

He waited a moment to gauge reaction. The rebels were murmuring, but he couldn't tell if it was a good sound or a bad sound. Most of them were looking right at Karkat, who was shying away from the banister step by step. And of  _course_ they were staring—Karkat was a living legend, a relic of an age far gone. Many of the rebels belonged to his ancestor's cult.

Sollux cleared his throat again to regain their attention. "As I was  _saying,_ this is going to be our first mission as a collective group. Not all of you will be going—we're trying to be somewhat stealthy, after all—but rest assured that all of you will have your chance to deal a blow to the Empire soon enough. This time around we'll be making an attempt to take hold of the numerous military outposts surrounding the city. There are twenty in total due to increased defenses, and I'm going to send teams of fifteen trolls each to every single one. We'll attack as one in three days time, so make sure to train hard once you're given your orders. Each outpost is different, so you'll be briefed on your individual strategies based on which commander you're assigned to. All you need to know for now is that when you head out, you're expected to kill every Empire troop in your way. The more we can reduce their numbers, the easier it will be to win when the time comes to go up against the fleet."

Murmurs of agreement swept through the room.

"Now," Sollux said, "I'm going to announce the names of the trolls I've chosen to act as commanders. Once you've been announced, I want the twenty of you to report to the front of the mess hall, and I'll send your team to you. Now, the commanders will be Aradia Megido, Ladaci Zuniia, Tallya Jiharr, Tavros Nitram…" He went on, watching the shuffle of the crowd as the named trolls made their way to the back of the mess hall, where space had been made for them to stand. Finally he got to the end of the list, finishing it out with the announcement of, "And lastly, Karkat Vantas."

Karkat shot him an odd look, despite the fact that he'd  _known_ he was going to be leading a squadron on this mission. It had either been him or Feferi to go as leader, and Feferi had agreed that it wasn't smart to put her in any position of power in front of the rebels. They would only see it as her attempting to succeed the Condesce, instead of promoting the democracy they all strived for.

Karkat vaulted over the balcony and landed with a thud. Almost the instant he moved there was a ring around him, trolls backing away as if they were afraid he'd turn on them. The redblood gave a wary glance to the crowd. Then he moved, shoulders slightly hunched, head down, until he reached the back of the room and took his place beside a very nervous Tavros (who had vehemently objected being named commander, but hadn't had much of a choice in the end. The Helmsman had said that Tavros and Vriska would be crucial leaders in the rebellion, and Sollux wasn't inclined to mess with that prediction just yet).

"Okay," Sollux said into the mic. "I'll list off the names of everyone who's assigned to Commander Megido first, then I'll go down the line. If your name is called, do  _all_ of us a favor and  _don't_ start running around until I'm done talking. We're rebels, not wigglers." He started listing off names. He'd chosen the individuals that had received the highest scores on Ladcai's initial examination of all new initiates, making sure that no one was working above their pay grade. During the mission he would stay back to monitor each squadron, and the rebels that hadn't been chosen would all be assigned to train and hone their skills together. Honestly, it wasn't his favorite thing to do—he wanted to  _fight,_ damn it—but it was the best he was going to get. He'd stay back and monitor, send out additional troops if things went wrong. He thought that fifteen men per team would be more than enough, seeing as the on-world military was stretched a little thin at the moment, and sending more than fifteen rebels would make it difficult to maintain their stealth, but he'd send more if necessary.

"That's all," he announced when the final name had been called off. "Those that haven't been called will stay here during the attack, and will be sent out if necessary. You should all train in preparation for this, whether you've been assigned or not. Now, you're dismissed! Be sure to report to your commanders before you leave to receive orders specific to your team."

Just like that, it was done. A few of the rebels were grumbling over not having been assigned to a team, but most of them seemed content to watch in awe as those that had been chosen made their way over to join their commanders. Karkat in particular looked incredibly uncomfortable.

_Suck it up,_ Sollux thought rather grumpily.  _At least you get to actually fight instead of sitting in a room worrying._

Judging from the glare Karkat was shooting him, though, Sollux thought that maybe he didn't see things the same way.

 

* * *

 

Karkat could feel everyone staring. Even though he wasn't looking, even though he was staring at the ground as Sollux dismissed the rebels to find their commanders, he could feel the eyes of every single rebel in the room boring into him. He wasn't a troll to these people, he was a  _novelty._ Like some kind of attraction to be gawked at because of his blood, his heritage. He knew that revealing his blood color and ancestry had been necessary. He knew that if he wanted to defeat the Empire and free the slaves, he'd had no other choice. But now, when he couldn't even walk through Feferi's castle without wading through a veritable ocean of awed, reverent rebels, he regretted. He would never get used to being treated like…like fucking  _royalty._ Because that's what he was to these people.

"Looks like I'm on your team, brother," came a familiar drawl from right in front of him.

Karkat looked up, then offered a relieved grin when he saw it was Gamzee. He hadn't paid attention to the names of the trolls assigned to him, so it was a surprise to see the indigoblood tagging along. "Sure you're not going to go off on everyone? We don't need a fucking murder clown running around in the middle of a mission."

Gamzee papped him on the cheek. "Ain't no thing, brother. I trust you."

_And you don't trust Eridan._ He wasn't a fool; he knew why Gamzee was here. Sollux knew that if Eridan did anything stupid, Gamzee would be more than willing to take his head off. Gamzee more than anyone had been okay with accepting the fact that Karkat was trying to work things out with the seadweller, but he wouldn't hesitate if he thought said seadweller was causing a direct threat to Karkat's life.

More footsteps. Then, "Reporting for duty, Commander Vantas, sir!"

He flinched at the sound of it. Being a commander meant he was the same rank as  _Rohdan,_ and while he knew that was a stupid comparison to make, he still refused it. "Call me Karkat," he ordered, then pushed Gamzee out of the way to greet the trolls that had gathered in front of him. Twelve total, which would rise to fifteen once he included Gamzee, Eridan, and himself.

He took a good look at the trolls. Judging from eye color, he had three rustbloods, four brownbloods, two olivebloods, two tealbloods, and…

Karkat blinked. "You're a blueblood?"

The troll in question gave an embarrassed nod of the head. "Yeah," she said. "I know it's not typical for highbloods to show up to fight for this place and all, but I kinda agreed with everything you were sayin'. Plus, you've got the old Vice Admiral rootin' for you, which has to mean something." Then she shied away, no doubt taking Karkat's silent staring for disapproval. "If my blood is goin' to be a problem for you, I can—"

"No, no!" Karkat protested. "I'm sorry, I was just surprised. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm the last person that should be judging anyone based on hemochrome."

The blueblood's eyes sparkled. "Yes, sir!"

Karkat let his eyes rake over the other rebels. They all looked strong, looked  _ready,_ and it was surprising him more than he wanted to admit. He hadn't interacted with any of the rebels one on one, hadn't spent much time around them at all, and he'd just assumed that they were all ailing lowbloods. But there was a fucking  _blueblood,_ drawn by Karkat's fire and Eridan's betrayal, and the others looked like they had a unique strength all their own, driven by the desire to take the Condesce down once and for all.

"Well," Karkat said, somewhat stunned, "let's get started. We have three days to talk strategy, and after that we'll head out to the outpost we've been assigned to and take it for the rebellion." He looked to Gamzee. The highblood offered him a nod, a dopey smile on his face, and sealed a hand to his shoulder.

He took a breath. "Okay. Here's what we're going to do…"


	27. Do the Windy Thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo, time for another update! I gotta tell you, running two stories at the same time (one of which has posted literally every single day for sixteen days straight) is exhausting.
> 
> This week's chapter is [ Do the Windy Thing ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-CliOV5-sg) by Brian Schaefer. I'm sure a lot of you have heard this one already!

Eridan had lost track of time, really. There weren't any windows in the room he'd been locked in, and even if there had been, this far down the ocean was mostly dark. With no way to track the days, he just kind of sat around and slept whenever he felt like it. Time melted into one big blob of nothingness. And what was worse, visits from Dualscar were becoming more and more frequent. It seemed like every time he closed his eyes his ancestor appeared in front of him with another foreboding message.

_Kill all your friends,_ mainly.  _Kill them and find a way back to the Empress. Prove your undying loyalty and slit Captor's throat, then move on to Vantas and Peixes and everyone else who dares to lift a hand against the ruler of all beings._

But he'd made his choice. Or more accurately,  _Vriska_ had made his choice for him. By throwing him into that ship and sending him back to Alternia with Karkat, she'd essentially assured that he would never to back to the Condesce. Even if he'd wanted to, returning there would mean his immediate death. Dualscar was wrong—even if he killed Sollux, Karkat, and squashed the rebellion singlehandedly, it was too late to go back to the flagship. The Condesce would have him killed for fear of another instance of betrayal.

So, here he was. Locked away in an underwater prison, waiting for Sollux to finally let him out. Karkat hadn't even been in to see him, no doubt dealing with all of the garbage that came with running a rebellion. The only time they'd seen each other had been at the meeting when he'd given his speech to the public. The separation…it was getting to him more than he wanted to admit. After so long without Karkat, to have him returned and then ripped away was driving him insane.

So when Karkat came to see him one day, not long after Sollux had visited to tell him about the impending raid on the outposts, it was more than welcome.

Eridan did his best to push himself up when he heard the first of the locks on his door clicking open. It was difficult, seeing as his wrists were still bound up tight behind his back and his ankles were cuffed without hope of even an inch of movement. He'd just barely managed to get himself leaning against the back wall when the final locks were removed and the door swung open.

And there he was. Karkat stepped into the room with an irritated grumble, kicking the door shut behind him and chucking a few padlocks onto the ground. "Fucking Sollux and his ridiculous security measures…who the fuck needs nineteen padlocks on one door? That's just excessive!"

A wide grin broke out on Eridan's face before he could stop it. "Kar, you came to visit!"

Karkat turned to face him, and though it could have been his imagination, he thought he saw the severity of his expression lessen just a tad, the corners of his lips quirking slightly upward. "You're still alive, I see."

"Takes a lot more than this to put me down," Eridan teased. "Though I have been gettin' a little lonely in here. Think you can help with that?"

Karkat rolled his eyes, but came to sit beside him on the bed nonetheless. "I'm not here to keep you company, fuckass."

"Aww, Kar, I'm hurt! You haven't been in to see me at all, and now that you're here you're tellin' me that it's strictly business?"

The redblood gave him a light shove, then winced as the soft push nearly made Eridan keel over without the use of his hands to stable himself. "Oh, shit, hang on. I can get those off."

"Sure Sol isn't goin' to kill you for this?"

Karkat shrugged, going to work on Eridan's wrists when they were offered to him. In a moment the cuffs came free, and a moment after that the bindings at his ankles fell away with a clatter. "Captor will have to deal with it. You haven't been out of this place in weeks, and I'm not throwing you into battle without the chance to train."

"Battle?" Eridan echoed, raising a brow. "It's time to take the outposts, then?"

"In two days, yeah. I'm leading a squadron of fifteen trolls to take the furthest east outpost. You're one of those fifteen sorry assholes, so it's time to make sure your muscles haven't turned to mush."

"I see." Eridan flexed his arms, then his legs. "Ow, fuck!"

Karkat winced sympathetically. "Muscle cramp?"

"Guess that it's not a good idea to hold your arms in one position for weeks on end," he said somewhat bitterly. "You can thank Sol for that one."

"Shit…" Karkat grabbed onto one of the seadweller's arms and stretched it out, fingertips skirting along the tough skin. "Damn, Ampora, that looks sore."

"It'll pass." He wasn't at all inclined to pull his arm away, though, not when Karkat was touching him so tenderly. He wondered if he even knew he was doing it.

"I hope it passes quickly," was Karkat's response. "Otherwise you might have issues using Ahab's Crosshairs. That thing is fucking heavy."

"A bit of stretching and it'll be good as new." Eridan extended the other arm for emphasis. Already the blood flow was returning, a slight violet tinge gracing his skin. "Don't suppose you'd be willin' to give me the Crosshairs now, would you? I, ah…feel like I've been without 'em for too long."

Karkat didn't even hesitate. "Here." The next moment the weapon appeared in his hand, then disappeared just as quickly back into Eridan's sylladex.

"Wow," Eridan said. "You're really just givin' this back to me? No distrust, no weird questions, no nothin'?"

"I told you, fuckass, I trust you. I have no reason to think you'll turn that thing on me."

"Well you're the only one, then."

Karkat looked away, expression dark. "That'll change after this. We'll prove that you're not here to hurt the rebellion. Besides, I learned that there are quite a few rebels that were brought here because they want to follow  _you._ Mostly highbloods, too. Sollux won't risk losing their support by locking you up forever."

"That's a relief." Eridan almost reached back for Karkat as he finally released his arm, then thought better of it. He didn't want to rush him into anything, even if he seemed to be warming back up to him since arriving on Alternia. "So what are the rebels like?"

Karkat shrugged. "Well, I don't know much of them. There are a few thousand, though. We're actually pretty strong. I have my team training right now, sparring down in the ballroom we're using for practice. Seeing as we're actually going to have to fight in a couple of days, I figured I'd make sure they were whipped into shape."

"Trainin', huh?" Eridan nudged him with an elbow, light, teasing. "Want to join them? I'd be more than willin' to beat you again."

"As if! I'm completely healed now, fuckass, so get ready for me to tear your head off!"

He rumbled out a laugh. "Okay, okay, calm down! You'll have to go easy on me."

"Not a chance in hell! You deserve every moment of sweet, sweet humiliation you get out of this, after everything you put me through!"

"Fair enough," Eridan purred affectionately. "Have your way with me, brave knight, and see to it that I never again stray from the righteous path."

"Oh, shut the fuck up!"

Another purr, deep and heartfelt. "God, I pity you so much."

Karkat stared, and for just a moment Eridan thought he'd pushed it too far. But then Karkat fucking  _smiled,_ bright, genuine, and though he didn't respond with words to match, the way he leaned down and butted his horns into Eridan's chest was more than enough.

 

* * *

 

Karkat led him all the way out of the cell and down to the ballroom, now being used as a training room, and immediately he marveled at the scene he walked in on.

The rebels were training together. Not all of them, seeing as not even the ballroom provided enough room for the thousands of trolls to spar all at once, but there were enough for Eridan to realize that there were a  _lot_ of them, and they were  _strong._  He'd assumed that the rebels would all be weak, impoverished lowblood children flailing weapons twice their size over their heads. But while it was true that many of them were children, they looked powerful. There was even a psionic in one corner, an oliveblood working on zapping a target with green bolts of energy.

"Damn, Kar," Eridan said. "This isn't what I expected at all."

"Yeah," was the half amused snort. "They're actually kind of formidable, aren't they? I thought they'd be useless little fucks, but they're half decent fighters."

Eridan just shook his head. "This is incredible."

"Well we're not here to gawk at them, we're here to spar—so get your weapon out and get ready!"

"Woah, you want me to use the Crosshairs?" Eridan protested. "I'll blast everyone to bits, including you!"

Karkat shot him a sharp glance, saying, "We both know that on its lowest setting that gun shoots nothing more than concentrated heat. Stings a little, but that's about it."

"Still, if I miss and hit one of the rebels…"

Karkat rolled his eyes.  _"Fine."_ He raised his voice. "Okay, you idiots, clear out this corner and watch for any stray plasma beams! The gun is set on low, so it'll just sting a little if it hits you, but I'd rather not have to send any of you to the infirmary that we just managed to get set up!"

The reaction was immediate. All the rebels in the right-hand corner of the room slipped away, leaving a space more than large enough for the two to spar in.  _Wow,_ Eridan thought,  _they listened to him without so much as an annoyed look. Like…they trust him. Respect him._ It was so much more than he'd ever gotten in his position as Vice Admiral, and Karkat had been helping to lead the rebels for only a few weeks, a far cry from Eridan's nearly four sweeps of service.

"I'll go easy on you," Karkat drawled, "like you requested. I know you're still sore from being locked up."

Oh, it was  _on._ Eridan double checked his weapon to make sure it was on its lowest power setting. Fired it once into the ground to make sure the switch wasn't broken. Then, satisfied, he looked up at Karkat with a devious smirk. "It'll be your defeat no matter what, Kar, so do what you like." He hoisted the Crosshairs up to eye level and aimed it right between Karkat's eyes. Across from him, the shorter troll flicked his wrist to summon his sickles (a practice set, he noted, not sharp enough to do more than scratch) from his sylladex.

"Ready when you are," Karkat quipped.

_Okay, then._

Eridan took the first shot, just like when he'd first sparred with Karkat aboard his ship what had now been nearly three months ago. And just like that first time, Karkat whipped to one side with startling speed and agility. He really  _had_  healed up, it seemed, because he was showing now all of the grace and prowess that he remembered from their time in Sgrub. More than that, actually, after his sweeps of training.

There was no time to think about that now, though. Now, all Eridan could concentrate on was making sure he didn't get hooked around the neck by one of Karkat's sickles. It wouldn't do much more than scratch, but he thought he'd rather avoid having any amount of blood dripping from his neck. And besides, even a scratch dealt to his fins would  _hurt._

"Head in the fight, Ampora," Karkat hissed, lashing out with both sickles and just barely glancing across the side of Ahab's Crosshairs.

He'd think later, then. Eridan dodged to one side as Karkat lunged for him, raised his gun, and fired off three quick blasts in rapid succession. Karkat didn't even break a sweat in dodging around them. A quick step to the right, a short jump, a dash to the left, and then he was bearing down on Eridan with startling speed. It was  _hard,_ fighting someone in close quarters like this. He fired off a few more blasts. Winced as Karkat barreled into him, knocking him back and just barely missing a few swipes aimed at his chest.

_This isn't working._ He knocked Karkat back with one foot, but he just couldn't seem to get enough space between them to use the Crosshairs accurately. Every shot he fired just ended up striking the ground harmlessly or barely glancing off of Karkat's sickles, and he knew he was making himself look like an incompetent wiggler in front of the watching rebels.  _Time to change tactics, then._

Eridan slid Ahab's crosshairs back into his sylladex and reached for a trident instead. He'd spent quite a bit of time training with tridents over the past few sweeps, and he'd gotten pretty good. He'd use this for close range, and then…

Karkat didn't even hesitate when he saw the trident appear in Eridan's hands. He just swept forward again, skirting around his opponent and trying to hook a sickle around Eridan's shoulder.

_Not this time._ Eridan flicked his trident to one side and caught the curve of Karkat's blade, directing the blow to one side, then jerked the hilt of his weapon upward to catch the second incoming blow.

Karkat snarled wordlessly. Attacked again, this time going for Eridan's legs, and was repelled back in much the same way. "God, when did you learn to use a fucking trident? It's annoying!"

"If my enemies are half as annoyed as you, I think I'll be able to hold my own in a fight," Eridan quipped back. Then he lashed out, careful of the sharp spines on the trident, and slapped the flat of the weapon against Karkat's chest. The redblood staggered back with a yelp, barely managing to regain his footing before he was flailing back at Eridan with his sickles. It was a sloppy blow, though, and Eridan took his unsteady footing as an opportunity to leap back and snap Ahab's Crosshairs back out of his sylladex. He fired as quickly as he could. Two shots, quick and concentrated, at each of Karkat's legs. He avoided the first, but the second singed the fabric covering his ankle.

_I've got you now,_ Eridan thought smugly, leveling the Crosshairs right in between Karkat's eyes. His finger twitched on the trigger, but Karkat was already dropping out from under the blow and shooting towards him with incredible speed. Eridan yelped as one sickle raked down his thigh and settled around his ankle, yanking one leg off the ground, and the other pressed to his chest and shoved him over neatly. The crosshairs toppled out of his hands. Before he could reach for his trident, though, Karkat was settling himself firmly over him and pressing two sickles over his throat.

The fight stilled. "I win," Karkat announced.

"What?" Eridan yelped. "Are you kiddin' me? If this had been a real fight, that shot would have blasted your foot clean off! I won for sure!"

"Yes, but this  _isn't_  a real fight. This is a  _fake_ fight, which means that your weapon did nothing more than singe my pants and make my ankle feel a bit warm. Therefore I win! Don't feel too bad, I've had time to practice instead of being locked away in a cell this whole time."

"Give me a few days and I'll be twice as strong as you," Eridan teased. He raised a hand and pushed Karkat's sickles away. "Now, care to let me up, or do you intend to sit here and gloat all day?"

Karkat righted himself with a smirk. "I've seen everything I need to see, thanks. Your defeat was just as pathetic as I'd hoped it would be. Then again, that's not saying much when  _pathetic_ could be used to describe half your character traits."

Eridan's eyes lit up. "Really? I'm that pathetic?"

"The absolute worst." Karkat held out a hand, but the gesture didn't distract from the way his cheeks, neck, and the tips of his ears had gone bright red. "Come on, get the fuck up! We have shit to do, like whipping you back into fighting shape before we have to go throw ourselves at the on-world military."

Eridan took his hand and let himself be pulled up. "Great! I mean…I'd love to! Can we get some food first, though? I haven't had a decent meal since back on the flagship."

Another roll of the eyes. "If you're going to complain about it otherwise, then I suppose I could be bothered to entertain you. Let's go."

He wasn't sure if Karkat noticed, but the rebels were staring. Almost all of them had stopped their sparring in order to stare in shock as Karkat and Eridan fought. Now, with the battle over and the two of them weaving their way through the crowd, Eridan heard the gossip beginning to bubble up all around them.

"…said he was pathetic!" someone hissed as they moved past.

"I knew he was Sollux's kismesis, but…" another started.

"…they matesprits or moirails?" a third whispered.

Eridan couldn't hold back a grin, even as he stepped out of the ballroom and into the hall leading to the dining area. "And just like that, the rumors are flyin'," he chuckled.

Karkat just shrugged. "They were bound to find out sooner or later."

That made him pause. He looked over to Karkat, brow furrowed, and asked, "Find out? Find out what? I thought that you…?"

"I called you pathetic, fuckass!" Karkat snapped, flushing as he said it. "What do you think that means, exactly?"

Something jumped in his chest. "Kar…"

Karkat didn't look at him. He just walked, eyes kept locked firmly on the ground, and grumbled out, "Let's just eat."

_He pities me. He's finally ready to admit it. But does that make us matesprits? Are we officially quadranted again? What am I supposed to think?_

He caught himself before he could go off on a worried mental rant. Instead he just took a deep breath, held it for a moment, then let it out in a whoosh. He could do this. He could take things slow, let Karkat go at his own pace, not rush him into anything he wasn't sure about.

Eridan reached out and draped an arm around Karkat's shoulders. Karkat didn't push him away.

 

* * *

 

Two days later, and it was time to go.

"Okay, everyone!" Karkat snapped, reaching up to adjust his goggles as he spoke. The things were annoying, but he'd wear them if it meant proving Eridan's sincerity. Hopefully they managed to serve their purpose. "You've all been briefed on the plan. You all know your responsibilities. So! Just follow me, and when we reach the outpost, make sure you fight like your life depends on it."

He received nothing but terrified nods. Most of his squadron consisted of children, the oldest among them being still a full month away from molting, so this would be the first real battle they saw. Karkat aimed to make it as safe as possible, even if that wasn't much of a guarantee. With Eridan and Gamzee with him, he thought maybe he could keep anyone from dying.

"Ready to move out?" he asked, aiming the question in Eridan's direction. The seadweller was back in his usual battle attire, dumb cape and all, and Ahab's Crosshairs was propped up over his shoulder.

"Never readier, Kar," was the cheerful response. "What about you, Gam?"

Gamzee gave an unconcerned shrug. "It's all motherfucking miracles over here, brother."

Karkat snorted. "I'm sure it is." Then he raised his voice, proclaiming, "Let's move!"

Just like that, they were off.

Feferi had kept her word to build a tunnel leading up to dry land. The thing was made of thick glass and metal support beams, providing a surefire way to get them right up onto the beach. The thing spat them out in a rather sheltered bit of surf. They were well enough hidden as they slipped onto the beach and up into the city streets above.

"It's nearly a straight shot from here," Karkat murmured, mostly to himself. Eridan was practically clinging to his arm, though, and he responded with a dry little glub.

They moved quickly after that. Their outpost wasn't too far away, maybe three miles at most from the beach, and they moved silently through the streets on their way there. There weren't a whole lot of drones stationed in that area of the city, so they didn't have much of a problem going unnoticed. There weren't even any guards patrolling. It was probably a good thing, seeing as they were traveling with so many twitchy kids. Kids, Karkat had to remind himself, that had been through hell to reach the rebellion.

In no time at all they were there. Karkat counted himself lucky that Sollux had assigned them to the closest outpost instead of the furthest one, clear on the other side of the city.

"Is that it?" one of the rebels asked. A young boy, one of the tealbloods. "The outpost?"

"The outpost," Karkat confirmed. "Now, the two of you who were assigned to air cover should leave now and get to the high ground."

Immediately two of the rustbloods slipped away down the nearest alleyway. There was a building nearby, one that was easily scalable all the way to the top, and they would wait there and snipe anyone that tried to run away from the base, or just anyone they could.

"Moving out," Karkat announced. They were close to the outpost now. So close that he could see the doors, the windows, the details of the stone. He led the group to a stop behind the trees hiding part of the compound from view. "Okay. Everyone remembers the plan, right?"

"I'll charge in and lure them out," Gamzee said lazily.

"And the rest of us will pounce on them once they're out," Eridan finished. "Those that are left inside will follow, and we'll kill them too."

"Right," Karkat said. He looked up at the outpost. It wasn't large, consisting of one major building and a surrounding clearing, mostly there just in case the city was ever invaded. That one building was only a single story, too, housing maybe thirty troops at most, ten at least. It shouldn't be that hard to capture it.

"Gamzee," Karkat ordered, "move out. Remember, don't get yourself caught, and  _don't_  get yourself killed. The rest of you, spread out around the treeline and get ready to attack."

"Don't worry about me, Karbro," Gamzee purred. "I'll be fine." He vanished a moment later, displaying that unnatural speed of his, and soon enough the door was wrenched clean off its hinges and flung to one side. Gamzee vanished into the outpost.

The rest of the rebels spread out as Gamzee no doubt worked his way further into the outpost, hoping to encounter the troops and draw them out to their deaths. Soon enough the remaining trolls were spread in a half moon around the entrance to the compound. Eridan stayed right next to him.

For a long while after that, there was nothing. But then, just like that, a loud screech echoed from the interior of the compound, and then a shadow flickered in the doorway. Gamzee appeared with rust-red blood splattered across his face. Behind him, a squadron.

"Now!" Karkat roared, leaping from the safety of the trees and rising to confront the troops.

All at once, the world exploded into chaos.

Right off the bat, two of the enemy troops were shot down by the snipers in the building above. After that, though, their aim was obscured as the military troops and the rebels crashed together.

Karkat was immediately locked into combat with a tall, lanky troop with a war hammer. They got the first strike off, a whistling blow that cracked straight past his head and crashed into the ground. He was slow, though. Karkat could tell. He got one foot planted on the neck of the hammer before the troop could draw it back, then drew his knee harshly against the troop's stomach. He choked and staggered back, forcing Karkat to leap off unless he wanted to be thrown to the ground.

Another blow. There was no nope of deflecting something as powerful as that. Karkat leapt to one side, flicked his sickles out, and managed to catch the flesh of the troop's wrist. Blood sprayed the ground. Rust-red.

_Almost done with this one._ Karkat kicked into that damaged wrist, knocking the hammer out of the troop's hand, and swarmed forward with his sickles raised. One slice to the stomach, one slice to the chest, then two together at the throat. The guard fell dead with a choking gasp. He had to have been a new recruit; he was hardly trained.

Karkat shoved his remorse down low in his belly as he turned to the next troop. There were two on Eridan, and he took one away with a flurry of light, sharp blows to the troop's back. They glanced right off his armor, but it was enough to draw his attention away from the seadweller.

This one was better trained. Older. More dangerous. Karkat backed away with narrowed eyes, sickles held before him, and waited for the other to strike the first blow.

It didn't take long.

The heavily-armored troop clunked forward with a sword in one hand, shield in the other, and snarled at Karkat from beneath his helmet. He looked like a fucking  _tank._

_Okay, calm down, I can do this._ Karkat watched for weak points. Then, seeing none, he threw a few experimental blows at the troop. Each one was caught on his shield and flung into the ground or to the side.  _Fuck. Think, Vantas, think!_

He yelped as the troop charged at him, shield held up to protect himself from any kind of damage, and swung hard with his blade. He wasn't that quick, but the sudden swing had thrown Karkat off balance. He staggered once, gasped as the blade sliced into the flesh just above his hip, and just barely managed to retaliate by dragging the point of his sickle across the troop's sternum. It barely made a scratch, but it was enough to stagger him.

Karkat raked his eyes over the troll as he staggered back, searching for an opening, a weak spot,  _anything._ Then he saw it. The armor was held together by leather straps up the right side. If he could slice those straps in two, get rid of the armor, the troll would suddenly become a thousand times more vulnerable. Getting past that shield would be the problem. If he could manage to duck around and get the troop to overextend himself, then maybe—

A flash of white seared his pupils, and when his vision cleared he was staring at a pile of ash. The troop was gone.

"You're welcome," Eridan said, brandishing the smoking muzzle of the Crosshairs.

Karkat blinked. Then he realized what had just happened, and he managed, "Thanks…"

"Let's just take care of this." Eridan turned and fired again, picking off a troop that had just started to emerge from the doorway of the outpost. On the other side of the clearing, Gamzee was roaring as he flung another poor soul to the ground and gored them with his clubs. One of the other recruits was slicing the throat of a military troop. Another—the psionic with the weird green powers—was gripping around the throat of his enemy and squeezing with all his strength.

Karkat jumped as another troop came out of nowhere, and he had to whip to one side to avoid being skewered by a spear. This one was easy, though. He jumped up on the next strike, stamped down on the neck of the spear just like he had with the first troop he'd fought, and slung a sickle towards his opponent. Blood gushed out—brown this time—and the guard collapsed.

"That's all of them out here," Eridan said. "Kar, are we movin' in?"

He took a moment to observe the rebels. Most of them looked fine, but one of the rustbloods was clutching at a wound on her side, and one of the tealbloods was spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"You two stay out here," he ordered, pointing to the two that were injured. "The rest of you are with me."

He led them to the building. Most of the troops should have been killed in that initial assault, but he knew that there would probably be one or two hiding out somewhere. Hopefully they hadn't radioed for help yet.

"Stay quiet," Karkat growled as they move. "Spread out and search the area. Eridan, stay close to me."

The seadweller gave him a confused look (he hadn't been told he was being observed, and had written the goggles off as some kind of absurd fashion statement), but remained close nonetheless. The outpost was rather small, and so it didn't take long for everyone to wind their way through the base.

"Looks like there isn't anyone else here," Eridan said as Karkat led him into what looked like a communications room. "The outpost is ours."

"That doesn't make any sense, though," Karkat murmured. He moved to the console and brushed over the buttons with a frown. There were no logs of recent broadcasts, which mean that the outpost hadn't radioed for help. Maybe they'd been confident in their ability to win, and had all went outside at once? That didn't sound like the Empire, though…

"It doesn't make any sense," Karkat said again, confused. "Why would the Empire just—?"

_"Karkat!"_

He looked up just in time to see Eridan lunge for him, purple flashing across his vision. A moment later there was a pained yelp, then the seadweller crashed to the ground.

"Eridan!" Karkat gasped. He almost moved to kneel beside him, but then he realized that there had to be a  _reason_ for what had just happened, and he looked up to see two military troops emerging from what had to be a broom closet. They must have been hiding there waiting for someone to ambush, and Eridan—

Karkat's eyes went wide. Eridan had  _saved_ him. One of the troops was carrying a dagger, one dripping with violet. He'd been trying to kill  _him._  Had probably recognized him from the televised speech.

"E-Eridan?" Karkat rasped uncertainly. He couldn't look down, not while he was being backed into a corner by two troops far larger than he was, but he desperately needed to know that the seadweller had survived.

Eridan gave a tiny groan, but didn't budge from where he was sprawled out across the ground. Alive, then. It would take more than a tiny dagger to the stomach to put him down for good.

The troops didn't even try to taunt him. Didn't want to talk. One of them stepped forward with their dagger raised, and Karkat threw himself out of the way before he could be floored like Eridan. He crashed into the wall with a clang, and could only hope that some of his squadron were nearby to help him.

The other troop came at him with an axe that dented the wall beside his head and nearly sliced off the top spike of his hair. Karkat ducked low to the ground to avoid it, then shrieked in pain as the second troop took advantage of his vulnerable position and rammed his knee up under his jaw.

_Oh, fuck._ The world was spinning. Karkat lashed out with a sickle, heard an answering cry of pain, but it wasn't enough. His vision was spotted over with white.

Then, out of nowhere, something surged through the air. The room smelled like electricity. Orange swarmed over him.

_Psionic energy,_ he realized. The remaining troll on his team was standing in the doorway.

"Hey, what the—?"

The troll never got to finish, though, because the next moment a wreath of orange sealed around his neck and cracked it to one side. A moment after that, the other troop followed with a wail of pain.

Then it was over.

"Commander Vantas!" the psionic exclaimed, rushing into the room. "Uh, I mean, Karkat!"

Karkat groaned as the psionic propped him up against the wall. "Thanks," he managed, though he felt a little sick. That blow to the head had been  _harsh_. Now he knew how Eridan had felt, having that minor concussion. "Is Eridan…?"

The psionic moved to Eridan's side. Then, "He's fine, sir! There's a stab wound in his side, but it missed his gills and didn't go too deep. With his blood, I'm sure he'll heal in no time!"

"Thank god," he sighed. "Idiot, trying to save my life…" He tried to push himself up, then groaned as pain laced up his spine. "Hey, help me up!"

The troll gave an enthusiastic nod. Then he knelt down, offered Karkat a hand, and…

Karkat frowned. "Um…why is one of your eyes bright orange?"

"What?" The psionic recoiled with a choking gasp, reaching for a contact lens that had fallen out. "Oh no—shit—sir, I swear I can explain—!"

Karkat didn't wait for an explanation. He grabbed the psionic's arm, hauled him close, and squeezed at his flesh until the bright orange hue was unmistakable beneath the dark skin. "Holy fuck," he realized. "You're a  _mutant_. I should have known from the color of your psionics, but I assumed it was just something like when Sollux's powers turn purple from the mixture of red and blue."

"I can explain!" he said again.

"You don't  _need_ to explain." Karkat sat back, stunned. Holy fucking shit, there were other mutants. There were other mutants  _in the rebellion._ Who knew how many of them there were? This was one, but how many others were hiding in plain sight? He'd had no idea. He'd never thought that there were any other living mutants but him, but if this psionic was any indication…who else was out there?

"I'm sorry," the psionic continued. He was still babbling. "I know that I'm a mutant and all, but I thought I could be useful after Sollux rescued me from that Empire ship! I really wanted to help, and I thought that maybe since you were a mutant, too…oh, but I know you're a special case! I would never want to impose on your, um, leadership. I just wanted to help!"

"Calm down," Karkat ordered. He wasn't going to sit here and argue while Eridan was hurt not five feet away. "What's your name?"

"It's Zeffyr, sir."

"Zeffyr," Karkat echoed. "This rebellion is  _built_  on eliminating blood inequality and getting rid of the hemospectrum entirely. We're aiming to institute a democracy here, not a hierarchy built on hemochrome. So why the fuck would I care if you're a mutant like me? If anything, that makes me like you more. It means you were strong enough to make it out of the caverns despite the fact that you were at a constant disadvantage." He held out a hand. "Now help me up, and we'll lug fishface out of here."

Zeffyr flushed such a bright orange that Karkat wondered how he'd managed to keep his blood a secret for so long. He fished the other contact out of his eye, leaving both of them his natural color, then reached for Karkat's hand and pulled him up. "Thank you, sir—I mean, Karkat. You have no idea how much that means to me."

"No, I'm pretty sure I do." He remembered how elated he'd been when he'd gotten up the nerve to show Eridan, and the realization that he was a mutant had driven them even closer together. "Now hurry it up! I want to get Ampora patched up before he loses any more blood."

"My hero," came a rasping, sarcastic response from a floor a few feet away. "Fuck, Kar, where the fuck did those two asshats come from?"

"Hiding in wait, obviously," Karkat grumbled. He picked his way over to Eridan and knelt at his side, pulling up his shirt to look at the wound. Not too deep, and the seadweller's impressive regeneration speed meant that the blood had already coagulated nicely at the surface of the wound. "Good news. You're not dying."  _But I probably would be, if that asshole had managed to jam that dagger into my chest._ "Thanks for saving me."

Eridan smirked up at him somewhat hazily. "That's my job, isn't it? Save the ailin' damsel from the big, scary dragon?"

"Shut up, fuckass." Karkat nodded to Zeffyr, and the two of them helped to get Eridan back on his feet. He was a little wobbly due to blood loss, but other than that he seemed fine. A visit to the infirmary would take care of all risks of infection, then he would be okay.  _Fucking seadwellers._

Gamzee loped up to them the instant they emerged into the main room of the outpost. "Woah, brother!" he exclaimed. "What up and happened with Eribro there?"

"Minor stab wound," Karkat explained. "If you want to help, you can carry him back to the base."

Gamzee's concerned expression melted into a grin. "You got it, palebro. Just hand him over to me and I'll…" He grabbed Eridan, prompting a startled yelp, and threw the seadweller over his shoulder. "I'll be waiting for you outside, brother. Just up and holler when you're ready to head back."

"Sir?" Zeffyr asked once the two had vanished back into the outside world. "What are we supposed to do now?"

He gave the psionic a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Stay here. Sollux will send reinforcements to help keep the base soon, and then you and anyone else who's injured will be sent back to base for treatment. Until then, just get the injured indoors and treat their wounds the best you can. You're in charge here while Gamzee, Eridan, and I go back to base and report to Sollux. Get to the communications room, and if you can, make sure the channels are open. We might try to contact you that way. You got all that?"

Zeffyr nodded eagerly. "I can make sure that all gets done. But, um, Karkat?"

"Yes?"

"You're…not going to tell anyone about my blood, right? I barely managed to keep my friends from finding out about it by using the contacts, but…I'm afraid the rebels may react poorly."

Karkat's heart broke a little. "I'll make sure you won't be treated any differently. Just do me a favor and throw all those contacts out, okay? You shouldn't have to hide your blood any more than I should."

Zeffyr flushed with relief. "I can do that."

"Good." Another comforting pat on the shoulder and then he was gone, walking for the door to accompany Eridan and Gamzee back to base.


	28. Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eridan goes free, and Sollux develops a plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just dawned on me that I've been forgetting to do chapter summaries...whoops! Oh well, I hope no one cared about those too much! 
> 
> This week's chapter is [ Flowers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0LRtNwiORY) by Thomas Balmforth.

When Eridan next opened his eyes, it was to an argument taking place not three feet away from him.

"He's earned his freedom!" a familiar voice snarled, and a hand closed on his shoulder as he said it. "You saw what he did, Sollux! He dove right the fuck in front of me and took that dagger himself, and if that's not loyalty then I don't know what is! He's made mistakes, I know—too many mistakes to ever truly forgive—but you of all people should understand that your past isn't allowed to dictate your future!"

"KK," came an exasperated groan, "this is absurd. I'll give you that he's proven his determination to keep  _you_ safe, but as for the rebellion—"

"I'm a part of the rebellion," Karkat spat out. "If you guys go down, I go down with you. Isn't that incentive enough to help us?"

"I just can't trust him. FF agrees."

"Yeah, and Gamzee agrees with  _me!_  Eridan's proven himself more than willing to aid the rebellion, which means that now it's your duty to let him go free!"

"Without an escort? We agreed that at least there would be  _discussion_  of—!"

Again, Karkat cut him off. "Yes, we did agree to discuss an escort, and that's what I'm doing now! I'll escort him wherever he wants to go, how about that? That way there's no risk he'll try to hurt anyone!"

"You'd really do that? After everything he's done to you?"

"We've been over this, Captor."

"Yeah, but somehow I still can't find it in me to believe that you're actually giving him a  _third_  chance!"

"Sollux. If he hadn't jumped in front of me I'd be dead, and he would have been free to escape back to the Empress with news of his victory."

There was a pause. He hadn't opened his eyes, but Eridan suspected that Sollux was glowering. Then, "Fine. I'll leave him to you. But the instant I suspect he's out to get you, or  _any_ of us, I'll slaughter him without a second thought."

"Yes," Karkat said coldly, "I'm well aware of how you feel. Now leave!"

There was a snarl, then heavy shuffling as Sollux stormed off and slammed the door in his wake. Eridan flinched at the loud sound reverberating through his skull.

"You heard all that, didn't you?"

He'd been found out. Eridan opened his eyes just a crack and murmured, "Yeah. Sorry."

"Not your fault." Karkat walked over to him and plopped down on the chair at his bedside. "It's fine."

"It didn't sound fine," Eridan protested. He tried to sit up, then winced as he realized that his side was still aching. Vaguely, he remembered what had happened during the raid. "Kar, are you an' Sol…?"

Karkat almost seemed to shrink in on himself. "Things are tough," he said finally. "He hates you, wants you locked up or just plain killed, and I…well, I think you're more useful to us alive. The conflict is taking its toll on our kismesissitude, I guess. We haven't had a pleasant conversation since I first got here."

Guilt flashed through him. "This is my fault."

Karkat just lowered his head. "Yeah, it is. But some of it's on him, too, and I have my own portion to share. We're all fucked up."

Nothing had ever rung so true. "What happened with the outposts?"

"That's right," Karkat hummed. "Your pathetic ass passed out on the way back." He nudged him affectionately. "We managed to capture all of the outposts. There were a few that required reinforcements, but other than that nothing went wrong. We hold every single one around the city now, with squadrons stationed at each one to maintain control. We actually have quite a bit of control now. We're even getting messages from other cities after this little stunt. Apparently we're not the only ones starting to fight back. All around Alternia the major cities are housing wings of the rebellion, all led by different people."

"Wow," Eridan said. "That's impressive. It grew so quickly…"

"I told Sollux that taking the outposts was a good idea," was the smug response. "With that type of publicity, and with the cast of leaders we're working with, we were bound to draw attention to ourselves. Now that we're gaining ground in other cities, it shouldn't be long before we actually manage to do something to fight against the Condesce herself. We'll end up taking control of the on-world military in this sector, the rebels across the world should band together and overthrow their chapters of the military, and soon…" He shook his head, looking almost wary. "Soon it will be time to actually do something about the Empire."

"So quickly, too," Eridan murmured. It seemed like only yesterday he'd arrived back on Alternia with Karkat. But in reality, it had been nearly a full month. So much had changed.

Karkat shrugged. "It's what we have to do. We came here to boost the rebellion and eventually kill the Condesce and that's what we're going to do, as soon as possible."

"Still…" Eridan dropped a hand to his side. Bandages were crisscrossed over the place where he'd been stabbed. "It's just goin' so  _right._  Why hasn't the Empress swept down and tried to attack us yet? She knows how much of a threat we're becoming. Or why hasn't the on-world military been sent orders to investigate the tunnels? Other than announcin' my betrayal and the appointment of a new Vice Admiral, they've been silent."

"Who knows what that nutcase fishlord is thinking?" Karkat said. "We just need to keep our heads down and focus on actually winning this rebellion. Sollux wants to take over the on-world military next.  _Soon."_

Eridan sucked in a breath. "Alreadyt We've just gathered here together, have barely won even a single battle, and he wants us to conquer an institution that's been here since the beginnin' of time?"

"Just about."

"Damn. Just… _damn_." Eridan let his head fall back against the pillows. He didn't think he was in some kind of infirmary; the room was too bright and colorful so his only guess was that he was in Karkat's room. Karkat  _had_ just volunteered to watch over him pretty much constantly.

"Damn," Karkat echoed. "I tried to convince him to take more time, but he's convinced it's the only way. This mission, taking over the outposts…it was a deal. He would let me do this, and I would let him launch an assault on the military."

"Well, taking the outposts wasn't so bad. Maybe…?"

"The on-world military is going to be a hell of a fight, Eridan. Maybe it'll be like something  _you've_  faced before, but this is all new to both me and most of the rebels out there." He shook his head. "I just hope they're up to it."

"If you're helping to lead them, I'm sure it'll be fine."

Karkat's gaze went soft and weary. He just looked so  _tired,_ so  _small,_ and it was making Eridan's chest ache. "What if I'm not enough?" he rasped. "They're all counting on me. They're all waiting for me to lead them to greatness, just like the Signless tried to do, and…what if I'm just not  _enough?_ I'm  _not_ him. Fuck, Eridan, what am I supposed to do about this? They're treating me like some kind of  _god,_ like I'm better than all of them and able to just snap my fingers and make it better, and…" His shoulders slumped. His head dipped low. "I can't do it. I can lead them, sure, with Sollux and Ladcai, but I can't  _save_ them." He scrubbed at his eyes, shaking his head and whispering, "I don't know. I should be telling Gamzee all this, I  _will_ tell Gamzee all this, but you've led people before and known they were going to die, I  _know_ you have, so you know how to deal with it. Maybe you didn't care about the Empire troops you led, but I care about the rebels. I care about the mutant I met today, and all of the slaves on the flagship that are going to die if I can't get this right. I just want to know how I'm supposed to  _do_ this, Eridan. The Signless was like a god to these people. What am I?"

"Oh, Kar," Eridan whispered. He pushed himself up, fighting back the burn in his abdomen, and reached out to pull the troll into a gentle hug. He was aware that he was venturing slightly into pale territory here, but Gamzee was gone and Karkat just  _ached._ He  _needed._ "You're  _you,"_ Eridan told him, voice only slightly muffled against his hair. Two nubby horns stabbed into the soft underside of his chin. "You're not the Signless, and these people know that. They know that you're different, even if you don't think they do, and the best they can ask is that you do your best to help lead them. You don't have to do everythin' alone, okay? That's why Sol asked you to  _help_  lead instead of doin' it on your own. If you were expected to do everythin' the Signless did, take over leadership all by yourself, you'd know it. Sol would tell you that was what he expected. But right now? All he wants, all  _anyone_ wants, is for you to do what you can. And that means supportin' Sol while he makes a plan to overthrow the on-world military."

Karkat pressed hard against him. "What if I fail?" It was spoken so softly, so fragilely…

"If you fail, that's just something we'll have to deal with. But between you and me? I don't think that's goin' to happen. Not with Sol an' the others at your side."

A soft, shuddering breath puffed out against his shoulder. "Eridan…"

He didn't think about what he did next; it just felt right. He reached out with gentle fingers, hooked a hand beneath Karkat's jaw, and tilted his head up until he was just close enough for their lips to meet.

For a long moment, Karkat was still. Considering, maybe, whether or not he wanted to do this with someone who had hurt him so badly in the past. But the moment of indecision didn't last long. The next thing Eridan knew there was a hand sliding up to rest behind his head, and a set of warm fingers moving to brace against his chest.

Then, just like that, Karkat was kissing him back.

He was almost surprised. He hadn't dared to  _hope_  that Karkat would reciprocate, not after all the shit they'd been through together. Or more accurately, the shit  _Eridan_  had put him through. But here he was, Karkat's fingers twisting in his hair, lips mashing against his, tongue darting out to just barely tease at the seam between his lips. It was desperation. Had to be. Why else would Karkat—?

Karkat pulled away suddenly, an almost stunned look on his face. "Shit—fuck, I didn't—I'm sorry, Ampora, I—"

His heart sank.  _I knew it. He only wanted to kiss me because he's stressed and upset about what's happened with Sollux._

Karkat's hands slid back to his sides. "I'm sorry," he rasped again.

Eridan swallowed hard. "No…I should be the one apologizin' to you. I shouldn't have pushed you when you weren't ready."

He blinked. "Pushed me?"

"Well, yeah…that's why you pulled away, right?"

Another blink, slow and confused. Then, "Eridan, no…I just…" He shook his head. "I'm just confused. I need…"

Eridan closed his eyes. Let his head fall forward to thunk dully against Karkat's shoulder. "Time," he said. "You need time. So…whenever you're ready, I'll be here. And if you're never ready, then I'll remain as a dear friend. Whatever you need, Kar. I'll do it without question."

Something flickered in Karkat's eyes. "Do you really mean that?"

He nodded. "I really do."

"Then…can I ask you to do something for me?"

"Anythin'."

"Can you, ah…" He hesitated, gulping audibly. "Can you hold me for a while? Like what we used to do when we were together, before all this crap happened?"

A wave of relief surged through him, and he smiled. "Sure thing, Kar."

 

* * *

 

After that, much to Karkat's satisfaction, Eridan was allowed to walk free. Well,  _relatively_ free. He couldn't help but notice that there were always an inordinate number of eyes on them wherever they went, guards prepared to take Eridan out if he showed any signs of aggression. It was better than it had been before, though, with Eridan moving around without cuffs practically welded to his wrists.

Eridan seemed happier, which was a plus. He had this sparkle in his eyes now, looking around and seeing all the rebels that had appeared to stand up to the Empress. They were still getting new members, especially after their bold move of capturing the outposts, so every day the castle seemed more and more busy. Eridan seemed to be taking great delight in the fact that  _he'd_ been the one to bring a certain number of those rebels to fight for them. It was cute, really, watching him act so excited.

That just pushed things into dangerous territory, though.

_He kissed me,_ Karkat kept thinking, over and over, even though it shouldn't have been much of a shock.  _I kissed him back._ And it had felt  _right,_ but it hadn't. He pitied Eridan. He'd accepted that at this point. But…was he ready to leap back into a quadrant with him? He just  _wasn't sure._

And that wasn't the only issue with his quadrants. Lately, his kismesissitude with Sollux had been… _strained,_ to say the least. Their arguing over Eridan had been a point of contention right from the beginning, but now things were getting out of hand. All they'd done was argue since Eridan had been restrained at the base, and not in the playful, teasing way that had become normal for them over the sweeps. This was darker. More serious. When Sollux insulted him, or Karkat insulted him right back, all of the humor was gone.

It wasn't working. As much as Karkat didn't want to admit it, he thought that maybe their hate was spiraling into non-romantic territory.

"You gotta up and work this out with him, brother," Gamzee had told him, curled up in the pile with Karkat tucked close against his side. "It ain't healthy to be havin' these kinds of dark motherfucking feelings for your kismesis."

He was right. The line between romantic and platonic hate was thin, and Karkat thought that maybe he'd stepped onto the wrong side of that line one too many times.

He wondered if Sollux felt the same way. If he'd realized just how much of a wedge Eridan's reappearance had driven between them. Maybe, if he had, they could still make it work. Sollux could concede that Eridan wasn't out to get them, Karkat could agree to maintain at least a shred of objectivity towards the situation, and together they could come up with some kind of compromise that would save their kismesissitude. But for now, it didn't seem likely. Sollux was just too stubborn to change. And if he was being honest, Karkat knew he was the same way.

He was lucky he still had Gamzee. At this point he was his one stable quadrantmate—and that was saying something. Gamzee had worked wonders over the past several weeks. Wiping away the nightmares, soothing him whenever he had flashbacks of the flagship, making sure he felt safe. Without him, he didn't know what he would have done.

_That's one stable quadrant, then,_ Karkat thought bitterly.  _What about the others?_

In the end, he just wasn't sure.

 

* * *

 

"Kanaya, dear, would you please check up on cavern eighty-one before you go? I think I heard a lusus snuffling around in there where he shouldn't be!"

"Of course," Kanaya replied with a polite nod. "It wouldn't be any trouble at all."

"Thank you, darling!"

Kanaya watched as the other cavern worker vanished down the mouth of the tunnel that would lead her out to the exit, where she would no doubt make her way back to her hive for the night. That had been the last of them. She was the only one left in the brooding caverns.

_Cavern eighty-one,_ she thought, turning and making her way further into the system of pathways weaving beneath the fields outside the main Alternian city. Convenient, really—it was one of the deepest caverns in the area, housed far beneath the earth in a remote region that was impossible to get to unless you already knew exactly where you were going. Luckily, she knew just that. Four sweeps of service, and she knew the caverns like the back of her hand.

It would be perfect for her purposes tonight.

As she drew close, she could hear the fluttering of tiny wings. It seemed that a lusus really  _had_ managed to find their way to the deepest cavern, though she had no idea how. When she rounded the corner and emerged into a massive dome of a cave, she saw it immediately. A tiny little thing with fluttering wings, hovering over a brown-tinged egg near the front of the clutch.

"How did you find your way in here, little one?" she asked softly, stepping close and reaching out to brush a finger across the creature's head. It looked like Tavros's lusus had, she noted. Reminded her of things that had long since come to pass.

She cupped the tiny lusus with one hand and guided them towards the exit that would lead back to where most of the unclaimed lusii spent their time waiting for eggs to hatch and grubs to emerge and survive the trials. The lusus resisted, though, fluttering in an attempt to get around Kanaya's fingers. When they finally managed it, they settled right back over the same brownish egg.

"Is that one yours?" Kanaya asked, amused. She scratched the lusus under their chin and received a pleased chitter in response. "Okay, then—but you have to stay quiet! The others won't be as lenient as I am."

The little lusus rubbed their face on her hand one last time, then settled back down on the egg they'd chosen. Technically she should be shooing them away, but…this one reminded her too much of Tavros and his guardian. She'd let it slide.

_Enough of that now. Time to focus._

Kanaya reached into her sylladex and pulled out the communicator she always kept there for communicating with the other jadebloods. Tonight it would serve a different purpose. Quickly, she typed in the correct number that would connect her with the person she needed to speak with. Trollian would have been quicker, maybe, but it was dangerous to use such a program for purposes such as this one.

She waited as the signal struggled to push through. Even on the surface it was difficult to establish a connection with someone in the deep reaches of space, despite the incredible leaps and bounds that had been made by Alternian technology over the sweeps since they'd entered the game. Underground, managing to break through was a hundred times more difficult. Still, eventually her goal was met. The screen of her communicator blinked, stuttered, and then there was a familiar voice on the other end.

_"Maryam? That you?"_

"Yes, it's me," she said quietly. She didn't want to raise her voice for fear that one of the other workers had returned, and happened across her. It was unlikely, seeing as she was so deep in the caverns so late at night, but one could never be too careful. "I saw that you attempted to contact me a few days ago, but now was the first time I was able to respond. Everyone is being extra cautious thanks to the rebellion causing so much of an uproar lately."

_"Well the flagship is certainly buzzing, I'll tell you that. You're lucky I'm off duty right now, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to pick up! The Condesce has been riding all of our asses lately."_

She hummed. "At least you're alive."

_"Yeah, at least. This place has kind of become hell, though, with the new Vice Admiral stepping all over everyone and doing what fishface never managed to do. I'm starting to wish I'd hopped a ride on his ship instead of knocking him out and chucking him on board with Karkat."_

Yes, she remembered being told this. Sollux had kept her updated as of late, telling her everything that had happened. "You saved both their lives, Vriska. That's all that matters."

She could practically hear her eyes rolling on the other side.  _"Whatever. So can we talk about the important shit or what? I don't have much time."_

Kanaya had to grit her teeth to stop herself from snapping. She'd used to be  _pale_ for this person, even flushed at one point, but now all she felt was a dull, almost exhausted sort of pain. "Okay. Why did you contact me, then?"

_"You were the only person I knew to call. I need to get in touch with Sollux, check to make sure everything is going smoothly and Karkat and Eridan got to the rebellion safely, but I couldn't figure out how to actually talk to him. He has firewalls around his shit like nobody's business. Can't even get a message through."_

"So I'm your messenger?"

_"Something like that. I know this probably isn't the call you were hoping to get, but I know you're in with him."_

"How do you know?" she asked softly, dangerously. "For all you know I'm a loyal cavern worker, devoted to serving the Empire. We haven't spoken in sweeps, and I certainly haven't told you I'm anything but dedicated to the Condesce. If you're wrong, I turn you in for being a traitor and you die."

_"True, but I'm not wrong. You're too loyal to your friends. If Karkat and Sollux and whoever else are going along with the rebellion—leading it, even—then I know you well enough to know you'll be right there with them."_

She was right. "Fine. What exactly are you attempting to do in contacting Sollux? I'm willing to believe that you're on our side after letting Karkat and Eridan escape, but I'm not sure Sollux will like it if I just patch a captain of the Imperial Fleet through to him without warning."

_"Sheesh, don't sugar coat it or anything. I just thought it was time to get in contact, that's all. I want to help, and I can't do that if I'm out of the loop."_

"What took you so long, then? Shouldn't you have called sooner if you were ready to support us?"

_"Mindfang didn't think it was the time."_

Kanaya blinked. "Mindfang? Your ancestor?"

_"Yep! Oh, come on—don't tell me the Dolorosa hasn't spoken to you yet! Mindfang says that all our ancestors are becoming active again, trying to lead us all to our destinies."_

"She's spoken to me, yes, I…I suppose I'm just surprised to see proof that other trolls are experiencing the same thing as me, despite the fact that the Dolorosa told me such things would begin to occur."

_"They're occurring, all right! Which means it's just about time for me to swoop on down and help head the rebellion! Mindfang says that Tavros is already there for me to push around, so it should be smooth sailing from here."_

"If you think you can just show up here and start ordering everyone around, then I refuse to—!"

_"Woah, woah, chill! It was a joke! Look, just patch this number through to Sollux when you get the chance and put in a good word, got it? You may not like doing it, but think of all the advantages that could be gleaned from having someone from the rebellion working on the Imperial Flagship."_

Another good point, but she didn't like it. "Didn't you say that you were going to come back here soon? You won't be working there for long."

"No, but I still have the entire layout of the ship memorized. Let me talk to Sollux, and I can give him a blueprint. Imagine what he could do what that kind of information!"

Kanaya let her eyes slip closed. Vriska was right, and she knew it. Plus, having another prominent captain abandon the fleet in favor of the rebellion would only bolster support for the rebels. In the end, she was forced to relent. "Okay," she said, somewhat painfully. "I'll give Sollux this number and assure him that you're on his side. I'm sure he already knows, seeing as both Karkat and Eridan have informed him of what you did for them, but it will be good to have a little reassurance from someone on the outside."

_"Now you're getting it!"_

"And what should I tell him about Terezi? Will she be returning with you?"

_"Oh, you'll see her soon enough. I'm sure of it."_

"Well that's not ominous at all," she murmured. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

Vriska laughed.  _"Trust me, Maryam. With me fighting for the rebellion, we'll have this war won in no time."_

 

* * *

 

"So," Karkat said flatly, sitting across from Sollux in the meeting room. "Do you actually have a plan to get control of the on-world military, or are you hoping that luck will be all you need?"

Sollux shot him a glare. "I had a plan before you made me stop and take those outposts."

"Yeah, and look at how much good that did us! We have a ton more property to work with, more space to plan, and we have areas we've conquered all over the border of the city. Plus taking the outposts gained us support in the other cities! Granted they're all so far away that they'll have to fight their own battles, but it's support nonetheless, support we wouldn't have if we'd just gone straight for the military."

Sollux just huffed out an annoyed breath, saying, "It was unnecessary. But it's done now, so all we can do is focus on taking the on-world military. And I do have a plan, like I said!"

"Care to share it with the rest of the class, Captor?"

"It's complicated," Sollux snarled. "Not for me, I mean, but for someone as half-baked as  _you_. I'm actually going to use those outposts for something. I'm going to send squadrons out to each one in addition to the ones that are already posted there, and I'm going to use them to march on the city. They'll start wrecking military-run factories and other such establishments, which will draw military troops out into the streets to combat us. Civilians should hide away and be perfectly safe while our ground troops take on the members of the military that are sent to stop them. That will draw attention away from the main base, which will leave it open to attack. Those that aren't already fighting in the streets will attack the on-world military base as one. We'll force our way straight through, kill everyone in our path, and put the base under our control. Once we've done that, we'll reach the communications room and use it to send a message to the world, telling them that the main military base on Alternia has been taken over by rebels. We might even hold some kind of appearance on television, give another speech or two."

"You're just going to use force?" Karkat asked. "Won't that be an issue, what with them being highly trained and experienced adults?"

"Not that highly trained. And if it makes you feel better, I was already planning on disabling their electronics with a specialized pulse beacon before we go on the attack."

Karkat snorted. "Not such a bad plan, then. I just hope you know how you're going to convince the rebels it's a good idea."

"You'll just say a few good things about the plan and I'll order them to carry it out. Shouldn't be a problem."

"Whatever you say, then. I just hope they'll accept the fact that their second ever battle is going to be an attempt to wrench Alternia's main military base out of the Empire's grasp."

"I don't think we'll have as much of a problem as you think," Sollux insisted. "I think we might have more support inside the military than we realize."

"I'll just take your word for it, then," was the half amused, half irritated response. "Just make sure this doesn't get us killed."

"You don't have anything to worry about, KK. We'll make the announcement in a few days, after people have had a while to recover from whatever injuries they sustained from the claiming of the outposts, and after that we'll give them a week to train and prepare and memorize the plan. Then…" He chuckled darkly. "We'll blast the on-world military right off the face of the planet, commandeer their base, and take one step closer to actually managing to kill the Condesce."

"So what?" Karkat asked. "We take the on-world military, lure the Empire to us, and just fight them? What about their attack ships? We have no way of combating those with ground troops."

"The on-world military will have a hangar full of ships," was the response. "We can use those."

"Oh, you mean the ones powered by psionics?"

Sollux flinched. "We…won't have any other choice. We need ships. After we've won, we can unhook them and find an alternative way of powering the vessels."

"Yeah," Karkat snorted, "right. Let's just cast aside our morals long enough to win the war, then everything will be okay! Is that it?"

"Fuck off, KK, you don't know what it's like having to make all these decisions! It's not like I  _want_ to take advantage of my own kind, but we're not going to have much of a choice! And besides, that doesn't even matter right now. We won't have to deal with that until after we take the on-world military. So until then, let's focus on doing whatever we can to make a victory more likely."

Karkat just shook his head. "Yeah, okay. Let's just get to work."


	29. Mosaic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rebellion gains a new member, and Karkat gives another speech.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real talk, I got a new kitten today so I didn't have the time to thoroughly edit this chapter. So sorry, but I hope you understand the joys of a new kitten!
> 
> This week's chapter is [ Mosaic ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo0EICdRF7Y) by Yasuharu Takanashi.

Early the next morning, Sollux got a call.

He was alone in the chambers he'd claimed as his own when it happened, having decided to sleep late due to the stress of the past few days. The rest of the rebels were sleeping too after their battle, so the base was oddly silent. Or at least, it  _was_ silent, until Sollux's communicator made a loud, horrible noise and yanked him back to the real world.

"What the fuck?" he groaned, fumbling the thing with one hand until he managed to get it high enough to read the caller ID. "KN?" He clicked the accept call button. "What's going on?"

_"Oh! I'm sorry, were you sleeping?"_

"I was," he grumbled. "But I'm awake now, so what's going on? Is something wrong?"

There was a moment of hesitation on the other line. Then,  _"I'm afraid I've been asked to deliver you a message from a rather unpleasant person, but before that happens there are a few questions I wanted to ask you about the rebellion. Do you trust me enough to answer?"_

"What? Of course, KN, I know you'd never risk getting your friends hurt."

_"Good…then allow me to ask, what exactly is your next move going to be?"_

He frowned. "Why do you want to know that?"

_"Please just answer the question. I'm trying to make a decision, and this is something I must know."_

"KN…are you okay? You sound kind of strange."

" _I'm fine, Sollux. Tell me what I need to know."_

"Well, okay then." She was acting so strange…Sollux trusted her entirely, knew that she cared too much about her friends to ever do anything to turn them in to the Condesce, but he was still feeling slightly unnerved. "Our next plan is to seize control of the on-world military."

Kanaya sucked in a sharp breath on the other line.  _"So it's true…I almost suspected that was what your next move would be. Do you have a plan?"_

"Yeah, we do. We're laying low for a few days and healing up from taking the outposts, but after that we'll set it in motion."

_"I see."_

Sollux gripped the communicator a little harder. Asked, "KN, what decision are you trying to make?"

_"Hmm? Oh, pay no mind to that just yet—first I think I should deliver you that message, then ask you just one more question."_

"Um, okay…go ahead and deliver the message, then."

There was a moment of silence, then the sounds of keys clicking. Sollux's communicator dinged with the sound of a new contact being received.  _"I received a call from Vriska last night. This is the number she used."_

"VK?" Sollux echoed, stunned. He remembered Karkat and Eridan's story about how she'd helped them, and his stomach flipped a little. "She called from the flagship?"

_"She did. She wanted me to put her in contact with you, so that she could aid the rebellion in whatever way you see fit. She told me that tensions are high on the flagship right now, with the most recent rebel attack. Apparently the Empire is actually starting to worry about you."_

"That so?" he chuckled. "How flattering. So what, VK just wants to go along for the ride?"

_"Apparently her ancestor has told her that it's time to return to Alternia and fight for the rebellion."_

_Her ancestor?_

Sollux just stared at nothing for a moment. The Helmsman had told him that all the ancestors except for the Condesce and the Signless were exchanging words with their dancestors, had even seen proof that some of it was true, but it still stunned him every time he heard that another one of his friends had been visited by their ancestor. How long until Aradia was visited? Until Tavros had his say? Had the Grand Highblood started trying to convince Gamzee to turn on them?

_"Sollux?"_

"Sorry," he said immediately. "I spaced out a little, there. It's just strange that so many of us are being visited by our ancestors. You said the Dolorosa had spoken to you, too, right? And ED implied that Dualscar paid him a visit a while back."

_"It seems they are truly invested in the outcome of the war they began, all those sweeps ago. They are attempting to guide us, each in their own way and with different goals. Vriska's ancestor seems to have told her to follow in her footsteps exactly, while mine merely said that I should help the rebellion in whatever way I deem applicable. I admit, I'm curious to know what the others are being told."_

It was better than the Helmsman, who wanted him to kill Eridan and Feferi and Gamzee and everyone else whose ancestors had supported the Empire, who wanted him to let Karkat die as a martyr to spark the resistance even further.

Kanaya cleared her throat.  _"Sollux…I think it may be time for me to leave."_

"What?" he yelped. "Leave to where? What do you mean  _leave?"_

_"Oh, I apologize—that probably came out the wrong way. What I mean is, I think it's time for me to leave the brooding caverns."_

He blinked. "That makes more sense. Okay then, why do you think you need to leave the brooding caverns? Isn't that your job?"

" _It is. But in this time of war, I have decided that my skills will be most useful elsewhere."_

"Where, exactly?"

_"With you, obviously."_

"Me?" he echoed, eyes wide. "Like…with the rebellion?"

_"Yes, Sollux. With the rebellion. The Dolorosa told me to do what I felt was right, and now that means leaving my post and going to join you. If you are about to make an attempt on the military compound, you'll need all the soldiers you can get—and I don't know if you remember, but I'm quite skilled with a chainsaw."_

He remembered. Oh, did he remember. "Are you sure, KN? I mean, I'd love to have you with us, but this isn't a decision you can just take back once you make it. If you join the rebels, you'll be with us for life. Are you completely certain you're willing to—?"

_"I will join you. This I have decided."_

That would be yet another of their original team returned to him, then. Nine of the twelve would be united, counting Vriska and Eridan (despite the fact that he wasn't really sure he  _should_  count them). Nepeta, Equius, Terezi were the only ones that hadn't yet contacted them with the wish to return.

_"Call Vriska,"_ Kanaya said when he didn't say anything.  _"She seemed convinced that you would have use of her soon."_

He started. "Yes, of course. KN…thank you."

_"I was always going to join you, Sollux. The only question was when."_

 

* * *

 

Sollux didn't get around to calling Vriska until late that night, nearly twelve hours later. He'd spent the day running around speaking with the rebels, mostly the commanders that had led the squadrons on the mission to take the outposts, bouncing his plans off of them for taking the military base. He wasn't a fool, he knew that those commanders would turn right around and spread the rumor that an attack was being planned. But he needed to speak with the commanders, couldn't keep the plan a secret, and so he told them. He wouldn't officially announce the plan at a meeting for a few more days, though. He had time.

So. He needed to get in contact with Vriska.

When he sent out the signal, it was picked up almost immediately.  _"Captor! What the hell took you so long?"_

"It was a busy day," he said shortly. "And I'm still busy now, actually, so let's make this quick. KN said you had something to talk about?"

_"Oh, just the fact that I'm fully prepared to betray the Empire and come to your aid! No big deal!"_

"Yes, KN said that." He tried not to show how eager he was at the prospect of having Vriska fully, genuinely on his side. She was powerful, persuasive, and just generally an amazing ally to have. If she could actually prove that she was ready to help, it could do wonders for the rebellion. "I find it hard to believe that you're really in a position to betray the person who's given you your own ship."

_"Dear god, I can't imagine what you've done to Ampora if you're like this with_ me.  _The only reason Karkat is alive right now is because I saved his sorry ass, so don't give me that shit about being a traitor to the rebellion! I risked my hide to save him and fishface both; that should be enough proof for you that I'm on your side."_

Well, he couldn't argue with that.

_"So Karkat and Eridan got there no problem, I take it? They're safe?"_

"They're safe," he confirmed. "I don't trust ED, but KK won't let me touch him."

_"Don't trust the fish guy, huh? I know he's a dick, but at least he's actually trying to help you."_

"You sound like KK," Sollux snapped. "I didn't call you for you to babble on about ED, so just drop it and tell me what exactly you think you can do for us from the flagship!"

Vriska cackled.  _"The key, my dear Helmsman, is time."_

"Time? What do you mean?"

_"I_ mean  _that you're planning to take the on-world military next, right?"_

"How did you…?"

_"It's the logical next step for a desperate rebellion full of desperate people. It's what I would do. But the point is, you need time. I'm not in close with the Condesce, but there are rumors that we're going to be jumping to Alternia soon to put down the rebellion. The instant she hears word of an attack on the main military base, she'll be there in a heartbeat to wipe you off the face of the planet. You're not ready to face her yet."_

He…honestly hadn't considered that. With the Condesce and her ability to flash jump through space, she could show up on Alternia in two days. One, if she pushed the psionic batteries aboard her ship. And if she was willing to just fry them up entirely, she could probably get there in a matter of hours. "Why hasn't she shown up yet, then? Why is she just waiting out there?"

_"I've wondered the same thing. But the fact is, she_ is  _waiting for something. Maybe a full attack, like the one you're planning on the military base. Whenever that something arrives, though, she'll probably jump right to Alternia and put an end to all of you. So—what you need is time. Time to take the base without alerting her, time to really establish a presence."_

"And I suppose you can buy us that time?"

_"Yeah, I can. I won't go into detail, but I'm certain I can keep the Empire off your back for a good two weeks while they fix the damage I'll cause. Just shoot me a message at least a full day before you're ready to launch your attack, and I'll take care of it."_

"Do I even want to know what you're going to do?"

_"No, you really don't."_

"Great. And what exactly are you going to do once you cause the damage? Won't they know it was you?"

_"Nah, I'm just going to escape on my ship before anyone notices it was me. I'll flash jump away, and bang! I'll be on Alternia, ready to help you sorry bastards in whatever way I can."_

It was too good to be true. "You're serious? You're really going to do all that?"

_"And more. Just tell me when, and I'll do everything myself."_

"And what about Terezi? Is she going with you?"

_"Oh, she knows what's going down. She'll be well on her way to Alternia by the time I escape, otherwise the Empire would hold her in an attempt to punish me. We'll probably get to Alternia around the same time."_

"So EQ and NP are the only ones left," Sollux realized with awe. "I don't…I mean, why would you help us like this?"

_"I don't have to explain myself to anyone, Captor. Just know that without me, the Empire will swoop down and destroy you in the span of a single heartbeat."_

He shuddered. "Don't remind me."

Something rustled on the other side of the line, and Vriska let out a dissatisfied hiss.  _"Shit. I have to go, otherwise the new Vice Admiral will have my ass. Don't forget to give me at least twenty-four hours to disable the flagship, got it?"_

"I won't. Thank you, VK."

_"Save it for when the plan works."_

Another rustle, a click, and then the line went dead.

Everything was going  _so well._ The Empire hadn't tried to crush them yet, they'd just managed to take the outposts, they were thousands of men strong, the other two Alternian cities were developing their own chapters of the rebellion…why was it going so well?

Whatever the reason, now it seemed that all he could do was plan for their next attack and make sure that everything was in place. He knew that rumors of the plan to take over the military base would already have spread, but he would need to make a public announcement and describe the plan, telling each rebel where they would be posted when the attack began. And other than that, there was still one other thing he needed to take care of. Namely, the disaster that had become his relationship with Karkat. He was no fool. He knew that things hadn't exactly been good for them as of late, with Eridan returning to drive them apart. But the fact was, he  _needed_ Karkat's support. And more than that, he just needed  _him._ They'd been through too much together to let this drive them apart now.

So. It was time to go see his kismesis, and finally set things right.

 

* * *

 

Karkat was sitting in his room when Sollux found him. It had been a long day of helping Eridan explore the castle, which had apparently changed so much since he'd last seen it that he could barely find his way to the mess hall without making about thirty wrong turns along the way. It had actually been pretty relaxing, getting to have a little downtime as everyone recovered. The stab wound in Eridan's side was already pretty much gone, too, which meant that there was nothing slowing him down. It was…nice. More nice than Karkat thought it would be.

So when he returned to his room to rest, having given the room across from his to Eridan so he wouldn't have to return to his cell, he was only half surprised when his good mood was ruined by his kismesis traipsing through the door like he owned the place.

But…to his surprise, Sollux wasn't glaring, or glowering, or generally being an asshole. He stepped inside, closed the door, and his expression was surprisingly calm when he turned in search of Karkat, who pushed himself up off the pile he'd been sitting on the instant he saw him.

"KK," Sollux said in greeting, slightly awkward.

"Captor," was the immediate response. They hadn't spoken one on one in weeks without it leading to a nasty confrontation over Eridan, and he had no reason to believe that would change now—so already he was bristling, tensing in preparation for a fight.

Sollux seemed to sense it. "Calm down," he said, "I'm not here to bicker with you."

"You sure about that? Because that's all we've been doing these past few weeks, and not in a good way."

"Yeah, I…I know." The psionic looked sheepishly to the ground. "That's why I'm here. Thought I'd stop by for a little chat before I announce the plan to take the military base and suddenly there's no time to do anything but prepare."

"Right," Karkat snorted. "So does that chat entail trying to convince me to kill Eridan, or…?"

Sollux suddenly looked about ten times his age. His shoulders slumped, brow furrowing, entire posture seeming to deflate. He just looked  _tired_. "Look, can we talk civilly about this instead of trying to tear each other's heads off?"

Well…Sollux  _was_ making an effort, and it wasn't as if Karkat really wanted their kismesissitude to fall apart…so he supposed he'd give him a chance. Even if he wasn't confident it would bring anything but another argument, and maybe a permanent end to it all.

Sollux seemed to take his silence as acceptance. "Okay…great." He made his way further into the room. Every step looked careful, measured, as he made his way forward and lowered himself with great care into the pile. He sat himself dutifully away from Karkat, giving the both of them plenty of space. It was a rare occurrence, the two of them actually sitting down in a pile to talk, and so the entire situation felt just a little uncomfortable. They were more the type to brawl instead of working through their  _emotions._  Maybe that was what had gotten them to this point in the first place.

"So," Sollux said awkwardly. "I guess…we should talk about everything?"

"Probably," Karkat agreed. "Though seeing as we've let our problems build up for sweeps without ever working through them, I can't imagine where we're supposed to start."

Sollux blinked. "Sweeps? KK, what are you—?"

"Are you blind?" Karkat asked, tone flat and dull. One hand reached up to flick at the chip of amethyst in his ear. "This didn't just  _start_ when Eridan and I got back on planet and came here. It started way back when he ditched me and I came running to you in a rage and you started hating him way more than you had any right to."

_"What?"_ Sollux yelped. "KK, what the fuck are you saying?"

He was tired. So,  _devastatingly_ tired. "Look, Captor. Things between us…they've been really fucking bad for a really long time. Eridan showing up here again didn't start our deterioration as a pair, it just continued it. Accelerated it, maybe."

Sollux shook his head. "Wait, wait, wait! Back up! What was that about me hating Eridan?"

"You hate him," Karkat said, and it was true. "More than you should. More than someone that already has a kismesis."

"KK, you can't just—!"

He cut him off before he could really get going. "You've hated Eridan ever since he left to join the Empire. You can't deny that."

"Well, yeah, but I've never felt even a  _scrap_ of romantic hatred for him!"

Karkat snorted. "Right. That's why every time he's in the room, you gravitate towards him just to piss him off and watch him like a hawk. Face it, Captor, you're head over heels for the guy. It would explain why we've started having more and more issues since  _he_  showed up."

Sollux spluttered something indistinguishable at him.

"I'll get to the point," Karkat continued. "No flowery swearing, no yelling. Do you want to break things off so you can start a kismesissitude with Eridan?"

"Wha—are you—KK, you can't—!"

"It's a yes or no question. If you want to end this, I won't fight it. So this is your chance—if you want out, you should say so now."

"KK…" Sollux edged a little closer, eyes wide behind his glasses.  _"Karkat._  I don't know how else to say this, but the day I ditch you to hook up with ED is the day I give up on the rebellion and prostrate myself before the Empire."

A tiny flicker of relief arched through him. "Well you haven't been acting like it."

"Look," Sollux said, "I do hate ED. But the kind of hate I feel for him is the kind that comes from seeing someone else treat your quadrantmate like shit and threaten everything you've worked toward for nearly four sweeps, and that's not exactly romantic. That's genuine, platonic rage."

"He's not treating me like shit, though," was the immediate protest. "I mean, he  _was—_ when he left me, and then when he decided that the most intelligent thing to do would be to take me right to the Condesce—but he hasn't treated me like that for weeks now.

Sollux just shook his head. Said, "Yeah, because a few weeks of moderately decent behavior is enough to make up for almost four sweeps of trauma."

"Captor…" he growled dangerously.

Immediately he raised his hands in a defensive position. "Hey, I'm just observing reality, here. The way I see it, you have no reason to pity him anymore. He betrayed you once, and proceeded to do it again when he realized you'd lived to adulthood. Fuck, KK, he wouldn't even be here if VK hadn't knocked him out and thrown him into the ship! What do you see in him? He's caused you nothing but pain!"

He knew. Oh, did he know. But as he'd told Sollux not too long ago, nothing emotional was ever  _rational._  "Do you know why Vriska tossed him aboard the ship and sent him here?"

"Because she thought he could help us?"

"Yeah, exactly—and he couldn't have helped us if he were  _dead,_ which he would have been if he'd stayed."

He watched Sollux process that statement. Slow, confused. "The Condesce would have killed him if he'd stayed? Her own Vice Admiral?"

"Eridan only got me away from the slavers aboard the flagship by lying to their faces about it. They would have said something to the Condesce about it, or she would have figured it out when she wanted to use me to send the order to surrender, and then everyone would have known that it was Eridan who let me go. The Condesce wouldn't have batted an eye over killing him."

"But he's her Vice Admiral! He served her for—!'

"Like four sweeps, I know," he said. "But you weren't there, Sollux. You didn't see how the Empire treated him. No one seemed to  _trust_ him, and everywhere we went people skirted around him like he didn't belong. I'm not sure what he did, or why they were so cold towards him, but they were. You can take my word for it, not  _one_  fucking person on that ship would have given a shit if the Condesce skewered him. I know that some of them would have been thrilled."

Understanding flickered across Sollux's face. "So…when ED said he was planning on staying on the flagship…"

"He was going to die. He was  _offering_ himself to the Condesce as payment for everything he'd done. Of course, you can argue that since it didn't happen he didn't really manage to even  _begin_ redeeming himself—but I, at least, see more of the intention than the actual result. He would have died gladly if Vriska hadn't chucked him into his own ship and sent him here by force."

"Shit," Sollux whispered. Then he bristled, visibly steeling himself, and said, "I heard the message he left you on his ship. He sounded gallant and all that garbage, but I never considered that he wasn't exaggerating, or lying, or  _something._ I thought that if he'd gone back, the Condesce would have punished him a little and put him right back in service, and everything would be as if you never showed up."

Karkat shook his head fondly. "He wasn't doing any of that. Sollux, I  _know_ that this is hard for both of us, and hard for Feferi and Gamzee and everyone else that suspects he's up to something, but you have to trust me at least a little when I tell you that after everything he's said and done, after the way he's acted around me and the Empire lackeys, I trust him with my life. Maybe a little foolishly, but I do."

"KK…"

"But at the same time, I get that you're weary of someone who used to serve the Condesce so loyally. So…are you serious about not wanting to ditch me?"

Sollux nodded vigorously. "Yeah, KK, of course."

"And you're certain I can trust you about that?"

"What? Why wouldn't you trust me?"

"Oh, I don't know," he said airily. "Maybe because you were the one who lied to me about the size and strength of the rebellion,  _right_  to my fucking face, and I was captured because of it?"

Sollux tensed. Breathed, "Fuck. KK, I…"

"I don't care about the past anymore," he said, and it was true. Gamzee had drilled him through this about a thousand times since he'd returned to Alternia. If he kept hanging on to all of his hate and pain and rage, he would never be able to function normally again. Everything that had happened before he'd been taken by the Empire just seemed insignificant now, in the face of the horrors he'd gone through. "All I want to know is that from now on, you'll actually tell me what's going on instead of lying to me. Think you can at least do that?"

A bright yellow flush spread across Sollux's cheeks, and he said, "Yeah, KK, of course. I'm not going to risk something awful happening because I didn't give you all the information."

That, at least, he trusted. It was rare to hear this level of solemnness from Sollux. "Then I believe you."

"Okay," was the soft, relieved response, and Karkat saw that Sollux looked more relaxed than he had in a long, long time. "So…are we okay?"

_Not yet_. "What about Eridan? Will you stop fighting with me over him?"

"Well…" He fidgeted a little. "I don't want to trust him entirely, not just yet. Honestly, I still don't like that you pity him, and I wish you'd ditch him and he'd just go away somewhere and die, but…I guess if you're determined to trust him, then I should follow your example at least to a degree."

Karkat looked up, hopeful. Was Sollux really going to…?

"I won't just give him the run of the place—I still want you to stick close and make sure he's not doing anything weird—but at the very least I'll tell the rebels I have watching him to back off. And…I guess I'll stop fighting you at every turn over what happens to him." He held out a hand. "I'm making you his warden, so you can do with him what you think is right. Do we have a deal?"  _And a repaired caliginous quadrant?_

Karkat took his hand without hesitation. It wasn't everything he wanted—of  _course_  he'd hoped for Sollux to just drop his obsession with making sure Eridan was being watched at all hours of the day—but for now, he knew it was the best he was going to get. And if Sollux was willing to try to get their quadrant back on track…well, it wouldn't be so bad to  _not_ lose someone he'd hated since he was a wiggler. "Deal," he repeated. "Don't fuck up and everything should be fine."

"Hey, you're at fault too!" Sollux protested with a mock-sneer. "You're  _just_ as stubborn and hard-headed as me. Half the arguments we had over this  _you_ started!"

"Like hell!" Karkat swiped at him, scoring his claws lightly down his collarbone. "Don't try to make it sound like you weren't the sole cause of—!"

"Oh, shut  _up,_ KK," Sollux retorted with a smirk. "Don't ruin the moment with your big mouth."

"Fuck you!" It was said playfully, though, Karkat's features twisted into an expression of relief. They weren't fixed. All of their problems, the ones that had been developing for far too long, weren't going to be fixed by just one heartfelt conversation. But it was a  _start,_ just like the start he'd forged with Eridan, and at the very least he thought that neither he nor Sollux were going to snap and rip each other's heads off.

They had given each other a shot at working everything out. And for now, that would have to be enough.

 

* * *

 

"The problem at hand," Sollux said, looking out over the gathered rebels, "is the on-world military. We can take as many outposts and factories as we want, and up until this point we  _have—_ but that's not going to get us around the fact that if we want free reign of Alternia to plan out how we intend to take on the Condesce, the military is the main thing that's in our way. So long as the military exists, they'll keep fighting us and trying to take us down. We'll never be able to plan and gather resources with them in our way. So, we are faced with the cold reality of the situation. If we want to actually  _win_ this rebellion, we're going to have to take the on-world military out."

As expected, the rebels burst out into a cacophony of nervous murmurs and protests. No one was brave enough to raise their voice specifically, but there were more than enough trolls shifting around with the desire to argue.

Sollux pushed on. "As I'm sure you know, there are three military bases on Alternia—one for each major city. We live in the main city, which means we're right next to the most influential military base. If we can manage to get rid of this base, then the entire Empire will be shaken. The rebels in the other two cities will be inspired to follow in our footsteps, and we can send troops out to support them in taking out the other two military bases. Once that's done, we'll have all of Alternia."

"You're assuming that all of the people are just going to lie down and accept rebel rule," came a voice from the crowd. Someone had braved up after all, it seemed, though Sollux couldn't tell who.

"The people are terrified," he countered. "The only adults on Alternia are members of the military and runways hiding out in the sewers, which means that the majority of trolls on this planet are  _children._ And other than that, most of them are lowbloods! Lowbloods, might I remind you, that grow up terrified of the Empire. If they're not drafted into the military—a dead end job that basically just wants to stick them somewhere they won't cause any problems—they're sent to the flagship to become  _slaves_. Hell, that's why most of you are here! Most of you are kids, just like the majority of the population of this planet. The people  _will_  support us once we uproot the military, even if they're too afraid to speak up now, when they're not sure we have a chance of winning. There may be resistance from the highblood children, maybe even from some of the midbloods, but we'll deal with that when it happens. If they decide to support us, though, we'll take them in the same as all the others."

More discontent murmuring. Someone murmured, "Shouldn't we build up to that? Take it slow?" But they said it just loudly enough that it caught Sollux's attention.

"We don't have time to take things slow!" he called above the din. "Believe me, if there was any other option I wouldn't be suggesting that. But as things stand, we have to do something  _now._ The Condesce is well aware of our intent and our general location, and the Empire will see us as more of a threat than ever after taking those outposts. From what Karkat and Eridan have told me, the Empire was already planning on putting an end to us a few weeks ago. We have no idea how their plans might have progressed since then. They could already be on their way. So if we want any chance, we have to strike  _now."_

And again, the hall burst out into chatter.

A low growl sounded from beside him. Then Karkat was stepping forward, teeth bared, eyes flashing, and glowering down at the crowd. The entire room seemed to warm by a few degrees. "Shut  _up,_ you idiots!" he snapped furiously, and like magic the room fell silent. "This isn't about what you think you can or can't do, this is about  _survival._ And honestly, I'll be the first one to admit that I think this is ridiculous. I think that we need to take a step back, lay low, wait for some of the publicity to pass before we make our next move. I want to keep spiraling around the city and taking over more and more territory before we finally have enough power to strike and snap the Empire's neck in one swing. But the fact is, we don't have the time to do that. We're hidden for now, but you're all  _idiots_ if you think the Condesce is just going to sit back and wait for us to gather our strength. She'll be on her way here by now, or just about to leave with an entire  _fleet_ ready to blast us into oblivion. So! We have two options. We can either do as some of you suggest, and wait for the Condesce to slaughter us one by one—or worse, throw the lot of us into the slave trade, where I'm sure there will be  _tons_ of indignant highbloods waiting to use us to death—or we can do as Sollux suggests, as  _I_ suggest, and fight back. We can take up arms and follow Sollux's plan, and if we're good enough at what we do and  _lucky,_ we  _will_ win. We'll be one step closer to getting to the Condesce if we manage to control the whole planet, or at the very least the three cities."

This time there was silence. Karkat's words rang true for every troll, echoed with some distant note of finality, and thousands of eyes locked onto the mutant in silence.

Karkat took a deep breath. Then, calmly, "I know that a lot of you are young. You're young, have never actually seen battle, feel  _invincible._ You're running with the rebellion, right? We've never suffered a major loss, so what could go wrong? If we wait to gain strength before we attack, put off making a run at the military base, we'll be fine! But  _please_ listen to me when I tell you that you're  _wrong._ Most of you weren't here for it, but the rebellion suffered for nearly four sweeps before it gained enough publicity to attract the lot of you. You have no idea some of the shit the rebels went through—and fuck, neither do I! I only joined up with Sollux for real a few weeks ago. But rest assured that the rebellion has  _hurt_ like nothing else, lost people and suffered defeats so bad that it was nearly disbanded altogether. The battle that led to my capture took ten rebels to the flagship to be tortured and killed. Before we go any further, I want  _each_ of you to understand that that's a possibility. If you're fighting with us, you're  _not_  invincible. You very well could die."

_Where are you going with this? You'll scare them all off, KK!_

"I'm not saying this to scare you off. More, I'm trying to explain what  _will_ happen if we choose to sit around doing nothing while the Condesce descends upon us from above. Rather than taking this as an invitation to  _run,_ take it as an invitation to stand up and fucking  _fight_ for the people you care about and the  _things_ you care about. And at this point, I hope that you care about the rebellion enough to defend it."

_Damn,_ Sollux thought, stunned.  _Who said KK had gotten bad at giving speeches?_  None of the rebels, apparently. Because although some of the assembled trolls looked nervous, uncertain, most of them were sporting expression of newfound determination.  _You did it again, KK. Where would this rebellion be without you?_

"So then," Karkat went on. "We're going to tell you the plan, you're going to prepare for the plan, and we'll attack in…" He looked to Sollux.

"One week," he supplied. "So everyone has a chance to heal up and get ready."

Karkat nodded. "One week. So until then, you'd better do everything you can to prepare for what comes next."


	30. She's a Sp8er

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the flagship, Vriska launches a plan. On Alternia, Karkat and Eridan prepare for a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dang, we're at chapter thirty! We're getting closer to the end of this story, which makes me happy because I'll get to focus on other things and sad because I do enjoy posting this for you guys. I have a clear vision of how I want this to proceed and eventually end, and I'm so excited to share it! I have something truly devious planned for the near future, and some of you have already touched on it a bit in the comments but no one has quite nailed down anything specific. They mystery continues!
> 
> Oh, and of course, happy 4th of July to my American readers! It is truly a day to blow up our entire country in celebration of its freedom.

When Karkat awoke the next morning, it was to a body heavy and unwilling to listen to his commands. Yesterday had been emotionally taxing to say the least, and he'd crashed hard in Gamzee's room soon after giving yet  _another_ impromptu speech to the rebels. Now he was feeling the aftereffects of putting himself through an emotional gauntlet, and he was beginning to wish that he'd let himself sleep just a few hours longer. Though, doing that would have put his wake-up time at about two in the afternoon.

"You up, Karbro?" drawled a familiar voice, the door to the bedroom opening just enough to reveal a pair of indigo eyes.

Karkat forced his limbs into motion in order to push himself somewhat upright in the sopor. He  _ached,_ like he'd sprinted several miles the day before. "I'm up," he grumbled through a mouthful of slime.

"Aww, you got a motherfucking  _gallon_ of slime all up in your hair," Gamzee purred. He opened the door further and stepped inside, flicking on the lights and drawing a pained moan from the recuperacoon where Karkat had thrown up a hand to mask his eyes.

"Gamzee, 'm  _tired,"_ he groaned. "A few more minutes?"

The indigoblood rumbled out a laugh. "Nah, palebro, time to get up!" He moved to the recuperacoon and reached one hand into the slime, then the other, grabbing Karkat by the waist and tugging him further towards the lip of the 'coon. "There we go," he chuckled, taking the smaller troll's limp body and propping it up against him. "Aww, you're all exhausted and shit… _so_  motherfucking cute!"

Karkat batted at him. He was waking up a little now, able to support his own weight as Gamzee toweled him off and slung the extra sopor back into the recuperacoon for the filters to deal with. "Anything happen while I was out?"

Gamzee shrugged. "Not much. Eribro stopped by, but he up and left  _real_ quick once he saw that it was just me awake."

"Eridan?" Karkat echoed with a frown. "Did he say where he was going?"

"Not a word, brother."

"Hmm…" Technically he was still supposed to be watching Eridan whenever he could, but Sollux would just have to deal with him sleeping in for a while. "I'll have to find him later. The fuckass is probably off getting himself into all kinds of trouble."

"No worrying about that now, Karbro," Gamzee insisted. "Let's just get all kinds of motherfucking relaxed. You deserve it, after that speech."

Right…the speech where he'd convinced thousands of rebels to put their lives on the line for Sollux's plan to get control of the military. It was necessary, he  _knew_ that it was—but that didn't mean he felt good about sending innocent trolls to their deaths.

"Karbro? You okay?"

He blinked, forcing himself back to the present. "I'm fine, idiot, I…" Then he paused. Gamzee…he looked  _exhausted._ As in, bags under his eyes, scraggly hair, dirty horns, inside out t-shirt…he was a mess. "Fuck, Gamzee, are  _you_  okay?"

"Oh, you mean this?" Gamzee waved a hand down at himself. "Ain't no thing, brother. Just been havin' some real intense dreams that make it hard to sleep and all that."

"Dreams?" he echoed. "What kind of dreams?"

"Oh, just…" Gamzee shrugged, but there was a hint of tension to it. "Dreams of the Grand Highblood, you know? Asking me to turn my back on everyone…motherfucking  _screaming_ for me to spray your miraculous blood out all over the ground…"

His blood ran cold. "The Grand Highblood? Your ancestor?"

Gamzee gave a sheepish nod. "Seems real intent on me killing the rebellion. Something about…not following in his motherfucking footsteps. Betraying the Empire. Letting lowbloods walk all over me, and…" He trailed off, fidgeting.

"And?" Karkat prompted.

"And…uh, letting a mutant get his pale on with me. Shooshpap me and the like." More fidgeting. "Karbro?"

He didn't realize he was growling until Gamzee's palm tapped at the side of his face in concern. "Sorry," he muttered. "It's just a dream. Got it?"

"Uh, Karbro—"

"It's a  _dream,_ fuckass. It has no bearing on reality. So whenever that lunatic in your head comes knocking, just come to me and I'll make sure nothing gets too far into your skull."

Gamzee didn't look entirely convinced. "I dunno, brother, it feels mighty real whenever it happens."

"It's  _not,"_ Karkat insisted. He reached for Gamzee, settling his hands on his face and papping him with everything he had. "I'm your moirail, and I'm telling you that your nightmares are nothing but that— _nightmares._ So whenever you start doubting that like a wiggler, I'll  _gladly_  shooshpap you to death."

That made him look a little better. His eyes went all hazy, drooping just a little as Karkat rubbed his thumbs over the bags under his eyes. "Mmm…okay, Karbro, you got me. Just…mph, can you keep doing that?"

He rolled his eyes. "How about we get you cleaned up first, then I'll sit around rubbing your face like a creep for as long as you want?"

Gamzee gave a content purr. "You got it, brother."

"To the bathroom with you, then!" he declared, hooking a finger around the top of one of Gamzee's horns, well above the nerve receptors in the base, and tugging him along by it. He pulled him into the bathroom, started up the tap, and got to work on him.

It was strange. He knew, logically, that what Gamzee had described was probably just a strange, recurring nightmare. But still…something about it rang true. Being visited by his ancestor…

He shook his head before he could really start overanalyzing it. He'd mention it to Eridan, maybe, see if Sollux had anything to say. He'd wait until after the attempt on the military base, though—he didn't want to risk starting anything while they were hard at work preparing for the fight.

Until then, he'd just have to make sure Gamzee didn't hurt anyone.

 

* * *

 

Seven days later, it was all planned out.

There would be twenty squadrons prepared to march upon the city, one for each outpost. There were around three thousand rebels, of which about a hundred would be staying behind to make sure nothing went wrong with the base, which meant they had around two thousand five hundred rebels to work with, give or take a dozen. It was a large city, so most of those troops would go to causing enough chaos to draw the military's attention. They would be stretched a little thin, trying to cause as much havoc in the city as possible while simultaneously attempting to attack the military base, but they would make it work.

The twenty commanders hadn't been given any specific targets. They'd just been told to spread out and do whatever they thought necessary to draw out the military troops. In that time, making sure civilians weren't harmed was of upmost importance. They didn't need to get themselves on bad terms with all of Alternia—they'd caused enough fear as it was. Meanwhile, Sollux would take a team and lead an assault on the base itself. They had about five hundred troops assigned to march on the base. They were best fighters they had, and with any luck they could take out the forces that would remain inside the base. There wasn't any kind of plan to stealth their way inside. They would set off a few pulse beacons designed to fry their electronics, then they would hit the base until it broke.

From there, things were simple.

Sollux would no doubt receive more recruits as the inhabitants of the city realized that the rebellion actually stood a chance against the Empire. He would make sure those recruits were battle-ready, send word to the rebels hiding out in the other two Alternian cities, then send his forces there to take down the other two military bases. That would give them full control of Alternia, and the resources necessary to go after the Condesce. In theory, it would go down without a hitch. In practice…

Well. He'd just have to make sure he kept a good hold of his team, kept everyone close, and hopefully no one would go down.

Now, though, none of that mattered. All he had to focus on was telling Vriska that when the next day dawned, they would launch their attack on the military base.

"VK?" he asked for what felt like the thousandth time, waiting for the blueblood to pick up her communicator and realize she was being called. "Come on, VK, answer the phone…"

Finally, there was a click on the other end of the line. Then, " _Captor? That you?"_

"Unless something has changed in the past few minutes," he snarked. "You do know what this call entails, right?"

She snorted. " _You're asking me to do the thing where I incapacitate the flagship, right? You're going to attack in one day?"_

"You got it. Still think you can handle it?"

_"Pshh, just leave it to me. I've got a plan."_

"Right…you mean that plan you didn't want to tell me about due to its moral ambiguity?"

_"Nothing ambiguous about it, it's straight up evil. But it's your only shot, so you're going to sit back and let me take care of things."_

"I really hope I won't regret this, VK."

_"Nah, don't worry. You'll be too busy kissing my ass to feel bad over what happens here."_

"Thanks for that mental imagery."

_"Just get off the line and let me work, dumbass! This isn't going to be easy, exactly, duping the Empire and blasting off for Alternia without getting shot out of the sky."_

"Oh, let me just shed a tear for the asshole that manipulated me into killing AA just because now she has to atone for her crimes. You did it, VK, you made me pity you. Astonishing."

_"Fuck off, short stack. I'm sticking my neck out for you here."_

"Yeah, yeah. I'm hanging up now."

A cackle just managed to get through the speakers before he crushed the end call button with his thumb. God, he  _hated_ her—and  _not,_ as Karkat would probably get on his case for, in a romantic way. God no.

He hated her. But if this was what it took…

 

* * *

 

The plan was going to be set in motion, then. Now. Tonight.

These were the last hours she would spend with the Empress aboard the Imperial Flagship. Once that time had elapsed, she would become a rebel.

"…don't  _get it,"_ a voice rambled from the corner of the meeting room. "Why won't she  _do_  anything? We know where the rebels are based, know their end goal, so why are we just drifting along in space while they wreak havoc on Alternia? The longer we leave it, the more powerful they become!"

Vriska watched with blatant disinterest as the new Vice Admiral paced back and forth, hair sticking up in odd places, eyes wide, uniform just a little off kilter. He'd been going on like this for what felt like forever, after he'd proposed a plan to obliterate the rebels to the Condesce that had consequently been turned down flat.

"Is she planning something?" he went on. "Why won't she tell me? I'm her fucking Vice Admiral!" His eyes snapped to Vriska. "Right? She should be telling me these things!"

Oh, great. Time to jump in and get snapped at again. She  _should_ have been back on her own ship ages ago, but the Vice Admiral's ranting had kept her in place while the others filed out of the room. He seemed to like yelling at her since Eridan had fled. "It's not really your business whether or not she tells you things," she drawled blandly. "You're not her equal, Usyidu. You're her  _underling."_

"Oh, fuck off! She would have told  _Eridan—"_

"She wouldn't have told Eridan shit! No one ever really trusted him, not even the Condesce herself—we all knew he was just a ticking, traitorous time bomb."

He sneered. "Now he's back on Alternia, plotting with the rebels, taking out valuable waypoints and slaughtering Empire troops…"

Vriska rolled her eyes. He was so  _transparently_ caliginous for Eridan, it made her sick. "You'd better watch out there, Rohdan, otherwise you'll end up just like him."

"What? What do you mean?"

She flicked her fingers. Dice rumbled across the table, came to land on a two, and a set of throwing knives popped to life in between her fingers. She flung one casually at the closest wall. "Still think you can kill Ampora?"

"Of course I can kill him!"

"Hmph. Well, you'd  _better_ be able to kill him, otherwise you'll end up  _just_.  _Like_.  _Him_. Someone who  _thinks_ they're loyal to the Condesce, but really ends up going behind her back to save a quadrantmate."

"He's not my fucking quadrantmate, Serket!"

"No," she hummed. "I suppose he never will be, too, what with your seeming desire to slaughter his matesprit."

Another snarl, dark and dangerous. Oh,  _now_ they were getting somewhere. The angrier he got, the sooner he'd leave and she could carry out her plan. "Fuck off! You have no idea how this feels,  _finally_ ascending to a position of power, then being brushed off by the Condesce like I'm nothing!"

"Nope. I have no idea how that feels." She flicked another throwing knife at the wall. Kicked one boot up on the table. "In any case, I'm sure the Condesce isn't just waiting for the rebels to come to us. Knowing her, she's got something vicious planned but doesn't want to tell us for some reason. Maybe she suspects one of us of being disloyal."

Rohdan looked up. "You think someone might be disloyal?"

"If Eridan could betray us, anyone could. There  _are_ people smarter than him, you know, people that also want to hurt the Condesce—and if I were them, this is where I'd want to be. In a position of power. Just like Eridan."

"Just like  _you,"_ he countered.

She leaned forward, lips pulled back over her teeth. "I was the one that came running to you the instant I realized Eridan had taken Karkat and made a break for it. Why the fuck would I do that if I supported the rebellion? Wouldn't I want them to get as far away as possible before I spilled the beans?"

Rohdan didn't look convinced. As of late, he'd been suspicious of everyone and everything. "We'll see."

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" This was her chance. Vriska shot to her feet under the pretense of rage, biting out, "I'm done listening to you blab. I'll be in my quarters if you want to risk bothering me while I'm practicing with  _these."_ Another throwing knife, this one bouncing off the wall beside Rohdan's head. "Am I  _dismissed,_ sir?"

For a heartbeat, she almost thought Rohdan would want to interrogate her further. But then he sneered, looked away, and said, "Fine, do what you want."

_Perfect._

Vriska got up, captchalogued the remaining throwing knives, and stormed from the room. Her act dissipated the instant she was out of sight, though, a light smirk spreading across her features. It was time to do this.

In the days preceding when she'd expected Sollux to call her, she'd made sure her ship was programmed to take her right to Alternia along the fastest route, stocked with everything she needed for the two-day journey. She'd arrive after the attack on the military base, but that couldn't be avoided. If all she could do was cripple the ship and run, she'd do it. But first, the final step.

There was no one on the route to the lift. That was probably because it was late at night and the lift she was heading for was at the back of the ship, mostly unused. It would make getting where she needed to go quick and quiet. Hopefully she wouldn't run into any trouble—getting to the battery room was hardly a simple task—but she'd deal with anything she found along the way.

Vriska stepped into the empty lift when she got to it and punched in the code that would take her to the battery room, which was just below the engine room. She could always go for the engines directly, but that would alert people immediately to her presence and her intent. No…it was better to drain the batteries, that way the ship would run off of residual power just long enough for her to get to her ship and escape. No one would notice anything was wrong until she was well on her way to Alternia. There was the other option of trying to destroy the ship entirely, of course, killing everyone inside, but she wasn't dumb enough to try that. The ship had too many failsafes, was too hard to take down, and she was just one troll. One incredibly badass troll, of course, but one troll was still just that.

The lift buzzed softly as it rocketed her to the lower levels, then lower still. Only trolls with maximum security clearance were allowed down here. Luckily she'd swiped Eridan's ID number from him at some point in the distant past. Even though he'd betrayed the Empire, she doubted the programmers had gotten around to removing him from the system yet.

_Moment of truth._ The lift stopped, the panel blinked, and she punched in Eridan's ID number.  _Red light, red light…aha! Green light!_

The doors slid open, and she was there. The entrance to the battery room. Now she just had to drain them.

Vriska walked down the initial hallway with great care, boots clicking audibly against the smooth tile. No one would be there at this time of night, but she didn't intend to make a lot of noise. This would be quick and silent.

She could hear them buzzing, the closer she got to the sealed doors that would show her where the batteries were kept. The air crackled with ozone. Her hair stood on end. Still she pressed on, though, and in no time at all she was passing through the double doors at the end of the hall.

A long time ago, the ship had only needed one battery. One incredibly powerful battery, kept charged well past its lifespan by the Condesce's touch. Now that that battery had finally died, burned out in some great battle hundreds of sweeps ago, a dozen were needed to maintain the ship. They lined the walls on either side of the rather cramped room, sparking and hissing and glowing with stored power. Twelve. Six on each wall.

Vriska let the door close behind her. The room was dully lit, the glow of the batteries providing the only illumination. All the lights had been turned off for the night. The less power used, the less strained the batteries would be.

She padded up to the nearest one and examined it. It was strung up by the arms like all the others, encased in organic goop from the waist down. Its eyes were glowing a deep, crackling teal. It had been a girl once. Now it was nothing but a hollowed out shell. Still living, but not thinking. All it could do was pump power involuntarily to the ship, feel the consequent agony as the life was sucked from it one drop at a time. Eventually it would die and be replaced by one of the spare batteries kept just in case of emergencies. There were always enough spares to replace a full set. Until they were actually replaced, though, the ship couldn't go anywhere.

She glanced around the room. There were a few bluebloods, a brownblood…heh, there was even a mustardblood like Sollux. Oh, the irony. No time for that now, though. She had a job to do.

Now…what would do the job? Vriska riffled through her sylladex for a moment. Then she grabbed, the air rippled, and one of her remaining throwing knives appeared in one hand. It was deadly sharp. Good enough for her purposes here.

"Sollux would hate me for this," she said to the tealblood hanging in front of her. The first one on the right side. The female. "And it's not like I really  _want_ to do it. Contrary to what everyone seems to believe, I don't like causing unnecessary pain. Not anymore."

There was no response. She hadn't been expecting one.

Vriska ran her thumb along the flat of the blade and just watched for a moment. She wasn't sure why she was stalling. This had to be done, she  _knew_  that. But still she found herself raking her eyes along the battery, looking at the way its eyes had sunken back into its head, closed but closed tightly, as if it were still trying to block out the pain after however many sweeps it had been locked into place. Its features were twisted in agony. Its horns had been filed down to nubs in order to make room for the equipment above its head. The energy around it was so very teal. It reminded her of Terezi.

She twirled the knife once, twice, and held it to the psionic's throat. It wouldn't matter. Even if it had been possible to save the batteries instead of killing them, it wouldn't matter. They weren't there anymore. Not mentally.

"Sorry it has to be this way."

The battery just crackled.

"I just…kinda need you guys to bleed out slowly, you know? So I have enough time to escape before they realize their ship doesn't have any batteries hooked up, and no power to run on."

More crackling.

"It'll take them at least a week to get the new batteries hooked in. Probably more. We  _need_  that time."

Nothing _._

"Wouldn't be much of a life, anyway, even if you lived," Vriska went on. She wasn't sure why she felt the need to explain herself to something that couldn't hear her. "Your horns are nubs. Your body is a wreck." Another twirl of the knife.

Nothing _._

She sucked in a deep breath. "Right. Okay, I…" The knife bit into its throat, drawing just a few drops of teal blood. The battery winced away, even though it didn't have any consciousness left. It was just an instinctual reaction to the pain. "I hope this sets you free."

_Slash._

It wasn't a deep cut, but it was deep enough. Blood began to trickle down its throat. It would take a long time. Hours, maybe. But with a wound like this, the battery was done for. No one would notice the steady drain of power until it was too late.

She moved on to the next one. It had used to be a male brownblood, but now it was a husk of its former self. The knife flashed.

Female, one horn, rustblood. Past its prime.  _Slash._

Female, no horns, blueblood. Young.  _Slash._

Female, sloping horns, tealblood. No eyes.  _Slash._

Male, no horns, brownblood. No fangs.  _Slash._

Male, short horns, yellowblood. It…looked like Sollux.

Vriska paused for only a moment. Then she slashed its throat as well, cleanly took care of the rest, and dumped the knife on the ground. It splashed there, a rainbow painting its surface, and gleamed confusedly in the fading glow of psionics. Soon the room would go dark. She had to be gone by then.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again, over the gurgle of blood dripping to the ground. She walked through it. Opened the door. Stepped through, rainbows clinging to her shadow until they were swept away by the cold curve of steel beneath her boots. The lift was waiting, and she stepped inside silently. Closed her eyes. Breathed in, then out as the world hummed around her.

The doors opened, and she ventured back out into the hall. Her ship was waiting here, in the hangar with all the rest. She'd ordered every single crewmate off of it in order for 'cleaning,' had packed all her things earlier, so there was nothing holding her aboard the flagship.

It was time to leave.

She still had a throwing knife. The last one, unsullied, and she chucked it at the control panel across the room as she stood in the doorway of her ship. The hilt bounced off the lever that would release the docking clamp. The instant she saw it happen, she ducked into the ship and closed the door behind her. A quick walk took her to the control room, where she dropped down into the captain's chair and drew herself up to the control panel, fingers skirting across the controls to make sure everything was still in place.

The engines whirred to life, and Vriska quickly punched in a few buttons that made the coms system flicker to life, then the transmission receptors.

"Terezi?" she snapped into the microphone. "Do you copy?"

_"Finally! What took you so long? I've been waiting for ages!"_

"Minor complications," was the response. The docking clamps were fully released now, and the ship plummeted down into the airlock section below the hangar. The doors slid closed above the ship, closing off the upper hangar and protecting the flagship from depressurizing. Below her the floor dropped out, and Vriska felt the familiar rumble of the ship coming to life.

_"Are you taking off now?"_

"I'm working on it." The ship cleared the lower part of the hangar, and then she was drifting in space. The engines flared, carrying her to safe distance away. "Are you clear?" she asked.

_"If by that you mean, have I kicked the asses of everyone in the compound and stolen a ship to get off base, then yes. I'm clear."_

Vriska laughed. "Didn't even see you coming, huh?"

_"Nope! And no one pays any attention to this outpost on this backwater conquered planet anyway, so I don't think anyone will realize what happened for a good while longer."_

"Knew I could count on you, Rezi." She flicked one switch, two, three, and the ship stuttered momentarily as it prepared to enter a flash jump for Alternia. Things were looking good—if the Empire hadn't already blasted her out of the sky, then they hadn't noticed she'd taken off. "Meet you on Alternia, then?"

_"You know it! I'm a little further out than you, so it'll take maybe four days for me to get there. You'd better have Karkles and the rest of the rebels whipped into shape by then!"_

"Please," she scoffed. "They won't know what hit 'em."

" _No, I'm sure they won't."_

Again, the ship shuddered. The stars began to blur. "I'm taking off," Vriska said. "See you in four days?"

_"See you in four days."_

One last shudder, then the ship was lurching forward in the direction of Alternia.

 

* * *

 

Below, the rebels were gathering. As Karkat watched, stood on the balcony that had been used to give speeches, the rebels swarmed together in full battle regalia, finding their commanders, making sure their weapons were sharpened or otherwise functional, checking the fastenings on any protective gear they might have been wearing, and going over their orders for the hundredth time. Twenty teams, one of which would be going straight to the heart of the military base.

He glanced down at Sollux, where he was standing in the center of the room with the rebels he'd chosen to accompany him to attack the base itself. Karkat would be a part of that team, but he wasn't ready to jump down just yet. Though from the look of things, it seemed that soon he'd have no choice. They would be leaving to get in position within the hour, and once everyone was prepared, Sollux would send the signal to attack. They were so  _close_.

"Ready to go?"

He turned to see Eridan standing on the balcony behind him. Must have snuck in while he was deep in thought. "Ready is a strong word," he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well I'd imagine so, seeing as you're not wearin' anythin' even remotely protective!"

He looked down at his clothing. He was wearing the normal stuff—a black turtleneck with his symbol on it, a pair of thick gray jeans, and a pair of worn sneakers. It wasn't as if he could use  _armor,_ seeing as his method of combat needed him to be swift and nigh uncatchable in his fluidity. "I'm quick enough to dodge anything thrown at me," he decided. "What exactly am I supposed to wear if not this?"

Eridan shook his head. "A padded vest at least! Come on, Kar, you're goin' to get yourself killed like that."

"Well there's no time for that now. And who are you to talk, douchelord? You're wearing a cape!" He flicked the thing in emphasis. Eridan didn't really wear it around anymore, but apparently he still liked to go into battle with the douchy thing strung around his shoulders. The rest of his outfit was just as flashy as was to be expected from a seadweller.

"At least it'll protect me a little! Here, let me just…" Eridan made a face and stuck a hand into his sylladex, searching around for something. "Ah! Here we go." He withdrew his hand and displayed a lump of black and brown fabric.

"The fuck is that?"

"Just put it on." He tossed it over, and Karkat realized that it was  _two_ articles of clothing. Frowning, he unfurled the black fabric first.

He stared. "Are you kidding me?"

Eridan offered him a sheepish, hopeful smile. "You're kinda a figurehead for these people. It suits you, don't you think?"

He turned the thing around and showed Eridan exactly what he'd just been given. It was a turtleneck just like the one he was wearing, but the material was thicker and obviously harder to get through with a blade. It wasn't armor by any means, but it was firm enough to provide at least a little resistance against glancing blows. It was better than the thin cloth he was wearing currently, at least. But that wasn't the problem.

The problem was the symbol, emblazoned in a vibrant, mutant scarlet on the front of the thing.

"It'll protect you," Eridan offered. "I, ah, made it myself."

"You fucking  _made_ it? How did you manage that?"

Another sheepish smile. "I have my ways. Ways that will prove useless if you decide not to wear it, but…"

Oh, now he was making that  _face._ He'd never been able to resist that face. "Fine," he grumped. He stepped off the balcony and into the room beyond, making sure he wasn't visible to the trolls below. Holding the new shirt between his knees, he stripped off the old and threw it in Eridan's face. Then, while the seadweller was still reeling, he tugged the new one on.

…Huh. It was pretty comfortable, actually. Firm enough to provide a little protection, but not so stiff that it would hamper his movements. He stretched experimentally and found that the material was actually quite soft on the inside.

"Fits like a glove," Eridan observed wistfully. "Just…" He hooked a finger under the hem at his neck and flicked it up so it wasn't buckled in on itself. "There we go."

Karkat tried not to flush when he saw the way Eridan was looking at him. He fumbled for the other article of clothing quickly, hoping to draw attention away from himself, and held the thing up appraisingly.

"Eridan, this is…"

"You don't have to wear it," he said quickly. "It's just somethin' historical, somethin' I thought you might enjoy havin'."

He recognized it, of course, though he wasn't really sure  _how._ He'd never met the Signless in the dream bubbles, though he'd known he was there. But still, he knew what he was holding. He recognized the cloak, made of some kind of animal hide, recognized the neat holes poked in the hood that were just large enough to fit his horns through. "This kind of ruins the point of having my symbol in scarlet," he pointed out hoarsely. "Covers it right up."

Eridan shrugged. "It's just another layer of protection. Like I said you don't have to wear it if you don't like it. I just thought…"

"No, no!" Karkat flipped the thing over and tugged it over his head. It caught on his horns about halfway down, though, and the next moment he heard Eridan laugh warmly as fingers closed around the hem and pulled it down the rest of the way.

"There we go," Eridan purred. He reached up and draped the hood over Karkat's head, making sure his horns were slotted snugly through the holes. "There's protection for the back of your neck now, and people won't be able to get at the bases of your horns without going through the material."

The explanation was practical, but Karkat couldn't keep his mind on the situation. Eridan's fingers were still lingering on him, brushing along the folds of the cloak and smoothing the wrinkles. The cloak wasn't bothersome at all, despite the flowing material. When he moved, he found that he could easily mime swinging a sickle, easily dodge out of the way.

"You look like a livin' legend, Kar." Eridan finally stepped back, though his eyes remained firmly upon the fierce picture Karkat painted. "Your enemies are goin' to quake before you, just you wait."

"Well they'll either quake or laugh," he muttered. He tugged at his hood until it rested just above his eyes. "I guess I'm ready to go, then."

"Ready as you'll ever be." The seadweller ruffled his hair affectionately, lips pulled back over his fangs in a pleased grin. "Let's make a deal, yeah? Neither of us are goin' to let ourselves get killed durin' this battle."

"That's a deal I can get behind." Karkat held out a hand. But to his surprise, Eridan didn't go for it. Instead he leaned in and hooked an arm around his waist, drawing him close and kissing him on the cheek.

"We'll stick close to each other," Eridan murmured, pressing against him. "No matter what happens."

"No matter what happens," Karkat echoed. His fingers brushed against his cheek subconsciously, where the cool sting of Eridan's lips still radiated from that central point.

Eridan shot him a crooked grin. Drew back, standing a good few feet away. "So we should probably report to Sol, huh?"

"Guess we should."

He stepped back, moving for the balcony. "Let's go, then. We should probably—"

"Eridan!"

He froze in his tracks. Turned, one eyebrow cocked. "Kar?"

Karkat didn't answer. There was something burning in him, some deep, well-hidden  _want,_ and he acted on his feelings with one step, an arm curled around Eridan's neck to draw him down, and a pair of lips jamming harshly against the cooler set above him. Eridan made a sharp, confused sound, but Karkat just kissed him harder.

"Kar," Eridan gasped when he finally released him. "What are you…?"

Immediately, he shrank back. "Sorry…that was probably too forward, I just wanted to all of the sudden and I figured this is a really dangerous battle and I didn't want…I mean, I hoped…" He could feel his ears going red. "Sorry," he whispered.

Eridan sprung to life. "Oh, no—Kar, I was just surprised! Shit, I didn't expect you to just…" He waved his hand in a frantic, confused sort of gesture. "I mean, if you think you're ready to fall back into a quadrant with me, then…I think I'd kind of be thrilled? But only if you're ready! I'd never want to impose on, um, whatever you…um, wanted to do?"

He narrowed his eyes. "You sound like Tavros."

"O-oh, I…"

Karkat yanked him down again, but this time it was just for a hug. "Shit, Eridan, could we be any more dysfunctional? Here we are, about to go into a massive battle, and we're sitting here stuttering over the fact that I just wanted to fucking kiss you."

Eridan made a soft, amused noise against the top of his head. "We're fuckin' impossible. But Kar, does this mean you…?"

He sucked in one long, deep breath. "It would be stupid of me to leave my matesprit a confused wreck right before a battle. So screw your fucking head on straight before you get killed, got it?"

"K-Kar? Did you just say…matesprit?"

"If you make me repeat it, I might change my mind. It's a fucking ridiculous decision as it is."

The expression that took Eridan's feature then was nothing short of rapturous. "Oh,  _Karkat."_  He reached for him, clearly intent on kissing him again, but one of Karkat's hands shot up to press against his chest before he could get too far.

"Not so fast," Karkat growled in mock-frustration. "We've got a battle to fight, fuckass, and your concentration is just going to be thrown off if we sit here making out right before we have to kill people."

"What, and you'll be the epitome of focus?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Touché. Look, let's just get this over with, then we can run into each other's arms and kiss and all that romantic bullshit. Sound good?"

Eridan's eyes lit up. "Nothin' has ever sounded better, Kar."


	31. Accelerated World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Signless ruminates, the rebels attack, and the military base proves difficult to capture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going on vacation tomorrow through Thursday, so Wednesday's update will have to be skipped next week. Sorry about that, I just won't have access to my laptop! And honestly I don't have time to write/edit Wednesday's chapter ahead of time, because this week has been an absolute shitshow with two of my cats becoming very sick and two others just feeling a little down (thankfully the new kitten is doing great), AND having a serious health problem pop up in the extended family. So you'll have to forgive me if my hands are a bit full at the moment!
> 
> Despite all that, I did have plenty of time and energy to get this chapter up and running. I hope you enjoy, and don't hesitate to comment if you do!
> 
> This week's chapter is [ Accelerated World ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyfRVjn71ho) by Onoken.

"See? I told you it would work!"

Signless narrowed his eyes, watching as Karkat donned his cloak and peered up at his matesprit with wide, hopeful eyes. It was like looking in a mirror, watching his dancestor throw himself into a fight that should have ended hundreds of sweeps ago. It was all the same. His dancestor, leading the rebellion (despite him thinking that he was only co-leading), preparing to go into battle against an Empire that had shunned him and made him flee for his life simply due to the color of his blood. If things went on like this…

"They're going to win if they keep on like this!" the Helmsman chirped excitedly. "I steered Sollux right, even if he hasn't done everything I asked of him."

"I'm not surprised he hasn't obeyed you," the Signless murmured. "You told him to slaughter his matesprit, to let his kismesis die in the name of creating a martyr…"

The Helmsman winced. "Yeah, I know it's probably not the best hearing me recommend that your dancestor let himself die, but it has to happen! They have to follow in our footsteps for as long as they can, then lash out at the last moment when they face defeat!"

"I know you believe that." In the real world, Karkat was landing hard in the mess hall and prowling up to Sollux, hair hidden beneath his hood, horns barely peeking out. He watched as Sollux swung around, did a double take when he saw what his kismesis was wearing, then knocked him playfully upside the head. "Some of the others seem to think the same way. Mindfang went for her dancestor recently, did she not? And the Dolorosa and my dear Disciple have been meddling in the affairs of their dancestors as well, trying to convince them to follow in their footsteps."

"It's the only way," was the response. "We got  _so close_ to winning. If they can replicate what we did, get as  _far_ as we did, then pull up at the last moment…they can do what we failed to."

He wasn't so sure. Already, the bubbles were a mess. Everyone seemed to be scrambling to speak with their dancestors, to lead them through a rebellion that was going suspiciously well. Everyone had spoken save for the Condesce (for obvious reasons) and the Handmaid, who had never concerned herself with the affairs of Alternia. Other than that…

The Disciple and the Dolorosa had gone to their dancestors, telling them to aid Karkat at all costs. The Summoner had approached Tavros and told him that soon he would have a position of leadership in the rebellion, that he would stand at the side of his favored blueblood and lead the rebels to victory. Mindfang had gone to her dancestor and told her that she would find greatness in joining the rebellion and whipping them into shape, leading them onwards in the process. Dualscar and the Grand Highblood had both told their dancestors the same thing—to abandon their quadrants and serve the Empire. To destroy the rebellion. Redglare had given Terezi a slap on the shoulder and a declaration of utter apathy. She'd never been involved in the rebellion, after all, not when it had first begun all those sweeps ago. And the Helmsman…

The Helmsman—Mituna—wouldn't listen to reason. The Signless had told him a hundred times that his plan was foolish. If the new rebellion could secure the aid of Feferi, a tyrian and next in line to the throne, they should take it, not kill her for no reason. If Karkat didn't have to die this time around, then he shouldn't. If people like Gamzee and Eridan were willing to help, they should be given complete trust. There was no point in echoing the past when all that laid before them was the future. No one seemed to understand that.

Now…watching Karkat don his old robes…

"They can take the military," Mituna was saying, excited. "Maybe Karkat will die in the process and we can have the martyr we need. Maybe it'll make Sollux realize I was  _right,_ that he has to get rid of the Condesce's dancestor and the Grand Highblood's plaything before they come to their senses and try to kill everyone."

He cringed.  _Mituna…why do you do this? Why are you so stuck in the past?_ He wouldn't say it, though. Not unless he wanted to risk being snarled at again. This was just something Mituna would have to work out for himself.

_Maybe I should speak with Karkat,_ he considered, watching his dancestor looping an arm around Eridan's waist as Sollux led them and the rest of his team for the door.  _Warn him that following in my footsteps isn't something he should feel pressured to do. In the midst of everyone's ancestors pressuring them into doing something different, it might help to set him on the right path—_ his  _path._

"Look at them go! They're actually going to attack the military!"

_Everyone is trying to convince their dancestors to do something different. To follow in our footsteps. And—_

The Helmsman bounced up and down excitedly. "Sollux is leading them right out to the compound!"

_The Condesce knows this game. Knows what we did last time, and what we will do now. And I can't help but feel that maybe, just maybe…we're setting them up for something truly horrific._

 

* * *

 

Karkat heard exactly when the military was deployed to deal with the rebels wrecking the Empire-owned portions of the city. From where they were hiding (in a rather convenient tunnel located right beneath the area around the military base, a remnant from the mostly wrecked system created by Sollux), it was easy to hear the marching of troops as they went to confront the rebel forces.

"There they go," Eridan whispered from beside him, face turned towards the ceiling. It was a bit cramped, fitting five hundred rebels in the tunnels, so the seadweller was crunched up right against his back. He could feel the vibrations from his words rumbling through his body.

Karkat pressed back to Eridan without realizing it, tensing as the marching grew more and more intense, increasing numbers of soldiers scrambling to the outer edges of the city. An arm snaked around his waist, cool and comforting, and he managed to only scowl a little.

To his left, Sollux was watching the ceiling intensely. To his right, Gamzee was leaning on a wall with a lazy grin on his face. All three of his occupied quadrants were with him. A part of him felt comforted, knowing they were there, but a larger part of his psyche was screaming that if something went wrong here, he could lose  _everything._  There wouldn't be any kind of partial defeat here. Either they won, or they lost everything. Karkat desperately hoped it wouldn't come to the latter.

"We'll give them a few minutes to clear out," Sollux announced as the footsteps started to fade. "We don't want any of them turning around and realizing what's going on."

Karkat shuddered, reaching up and pulling his hood down over his eyes. He'd been uncomfortable in the thing at first, but now it felt natural. Sollux had been surprised, at the very least—he'd stared at him in shock for a good few moments before opening his mouth and asking,  _have you had any weird dreams lately?_

It had been  _such_  a strange thing to ask. But Karkat had answered, shaking his head in confusion and saying that he hadn't, but both Gamzee and Eridan had mentioned nightmares recently. That had only made Sollux look more worried. Karkat had wanted to ask him why he'd wanted to know about nightmares, but Sollux had brushed right past him before he'd even gotten to open his mouth.

A cool pair of lips brushed over the back of his neck, pulling him back to the present.  _"Eridan,"_ he hissed, "what did I say about that?"

Eridan's expression went sad and dejected, like a kicked puppy. "Not until later," he replied forlornly.

"Then  _why_ have you continued to do that the entire time we've been down here?"

He shrugged. "Comfort?"

" _Comfort_ ," Karkat mocked, but a jolt of pity shocked through him at the small, uncertain way the seadweller said it. "Oh god, I'm a sap. Come here, you idiot."

He absolutely was  _not_ going to kiss his matesprit with five hundred rebels practically rubbing up on them. But he  _would_ grab Eridan's hands from behind him, looping them both around his waist instead of just one, and tug him right up against his back. From this close he could feel the flutter of the seadweller's heart against him, feel the coolness of his blood even through his clothing.

"You two are disgusting," Sollux muttered at them.

"Captor!" Karkat snapped. "Don't be rude!"

Eridan settled his chin right between Karkat's horns, denting in the fabric of his hood. "Yeah, Sol, you have no right to get in the way of our passionate pity."

Sollux scoffed, and for a moment Karkat thought that he hadn't learned anything from their conversation in the pile. But then he saw it—the teasing glint in his eye, that said he was  _joking,_ was  _taunting_ him to get a reaction, that he wasn't serious, and immediately he felt a thousand times better.

"Just keep it in your pants until after the mission," Sollux growled. "I don't want to die because  _someone_  found it necessary to grope their matesprit right in the middle of the battlefield."

"Sol, you offend me!"

"Shut your mouth, ED."

"Why don't you  _make_ me, you sorry sack 'a—"

"Hey!" Karkat snapped, shoving a hand in Sollux's direction, then in Eridan's. "If you make me flip ashen on you sorry fucks,  _no one_  is getting out with their bulge still attached to their body!"

The both of them shied away as if they'd been struck. "Sorry," Eridan mumbled sheepishly, at the exact same time as Sollux lisped out a vague imitation of the word.

"You'd  _better_  be fucking sorry!"

They quieted down after that. Eridan snuggled against his back again (begrudgingly, Karkat actually let him), Sollux glared at the wall, and in no time at all the psionic was holding up his communicator as it started blinking.

"That's AA," he said. "She just messaged me and said that the troops have been lured far enough away from base for us to attack. The other rebels are engaging them as we speak."

Karkat sucked in a harsh breath. "So…it's time?"

"It's time." Sollux raised his voice to the rebels, calling out, "We're moving out! Remember the plan, and wait to attack until you hear the signal."

Then, just like that, they were moving.

Sollux took the lead, Karkat following with Eridan and Gamzee hot on his heels. They emerged just outside the military compound, behind the treeline. There was enough room for all five hundred rebels to spread out in a half moon around the base, enough room for their attack to go down once Sollux gave the signal. Now if they could just get into position…

"Stay close," Sollux murmured to Karkat. "You're not getting captured again."

"No," he agreed, "I'm not. And neither is Eridan, or Gamzee, or you, or anyone else."

Sollux didn't have an answer for that. He just kept moving until he reached his position, Karkat beside him, and proceeded to wait as the rebels slowly, silently filed out around him.

There were five guards just outside the doors, watching for any sign of movement. It was late, though, darkness shielding them from view, so they couldn't see a thing. It wasn't long until all the rebels were in position.

"Here it goes," Sollux murmured. He turned his face towards the sky, took a deep breath, and let a flicker of power escape through his palms. The signal.

Immediately, five rebels darted into the clearing and swarmed towards the guards. The fight was quick. The guards were unprepared, distracted, and two were down before they even had the chance to blink.

"The security cameras should be picking this up," Sollux whispered. "The military should send reinforcements, enough to kill five trolls, and then we'll send in ten more to make sure that doesn't happen. We'll keep upping the number of rebels until we're all out there fighting."

As if on cue, the doors slid open and a few more guards stormed out with their weapons raised—though they only made it a few steps before several rebels rose to meet them. The guards were occupied, the doors opened again a few minutes later, and even more guards appeared in an attempt to fight off the rebels.

"KK," Sollux growled, "go."

He moved, Eridan's fingers sliding from his as he vaulted over the thicket of bushes providing them cover and decaptchalogued his sickles. One of the guards was immediately there to meet him.

He'd done this a hundred times before. He ducked under the blade of the attacking guard, thrust the curve of a sickle up under it to stop himself from being impaled, whirled to one side, and drew the point of his other sickle clean across the guard's side. The next moment he was covered in brown. The poor guy had been young, far too inexperienced to stand up to someone like him. A flicker of remorse shot through him.

He yelped suddenly as another guard appeared out of nowhere and threw an elbow in his direction. Right, he had to  _focus._ Lamenting over the deaths of Empire troops wasn't exactly going to do him any favors. Gritting his teeth, he cleared his mind and threw himself into battle.

Everything melted into a mess of blood and steel after that. He heard the moment the doors of the compound opened and let out more troops, who were immediately accosted by another group of rebels.

_They have to be catching on by now,_ Karkat thought, twisting to one side to avoid a spear being jabbed in his direction.  _Soon they'll realize what we're doing and send out as many troops as they can spare to face us._

As if on cue, the bulk of the attack began.

Karkat heard rather than saw Sollux's call to arms. Rebels and guards were suddenly everywhere, the troops rushing from the doors and around the sides of the building, the rebels surging up to meet them. The whole world descended into chaos.

"KK!"

Sollux was at his side, then, eyes and hands flashing with electric light. He caught a troop when she tried to go for him, flung her to the side where she struck the ground with her head at an odd angle and lay still. A moment later there was a flash of light at his other side, and Eridan appeared with Ahab's Crosshairs held high. At his back, he heard the distinct sound of Gamzee's growl.

"The rebels are drawing some of these troops away," Sollux hissed, ducking to one side and lashing out with a flicker of blue to knock aside an incoming weapon. "This should get a bit less chaotic soon enough."

Karkat remembered the plan. They'd use the beginning part to pick off as many guards as possible. Then, once the battle actually began, the rebels would begin drawing the troops out and spreading out around the area to make the battlefield a little less cluttered. They'd take them all down, then move into the base and clear it out. In theory, it was simple. In practice…

"Kar, focus!"

Karkat leapt to one side as a troop came out of nowhere, slashing at him with a massive claymore. The thing cleaved the ground at his feet and missed him by only a few inches. His head was back in the game, though, and he lurched forward with his sickles drawn to meet his opponent. He hadn't fought in a real battle in a long time, but slipping back into the familiar routine was almost comforting. He flipped both sickles so the rounded parts faced outward and caught the troop's next blow, angling it to the ground and taking the opportunity to smash his knee up into his stomach while he was still reeling from the unexpected blow. An elbow between the shoulder blades sent the troop crashing to the ground, and a flash of plasma seared through the back of his skull a moment later.

He would have turned to thank Eridan, but there was no time. More and more troops were swarming towards them, from the building and from the surrounding areas, and even though a good portion was being lured away by rebels, an even larger portion was staying behind and ganging up on whoever was left.

_We're still outnumbered._

That just made everyone fight harder. Sollux was taking on three opponents at once, eyes and hands flashing as he whipped from side to side, red and blue licking at the flesh of his enemies. He yanked the sword out of one troop's hands and turned it, launching it at another and killing him instantly before turning back to the first and slamming psionic walls down on either side of his head. He went down, and the third followed when a bolt of red seared right through his head. Then the psionic was moving on, gripping onto his next victim and snapping his neck while he was preoccupied with fighting another rebel. He was a monster, fighting the way he did.

At his other side, Eridan hadn't stopped firing for a moment. He was keeping himself free of close combat by sticking close to Sollux and Karkat, letting them pick off anyone that got too far into his comfort zone. Ahab's Crosshairs flashed every few seconds, killing and otherwise incapacitating them every chance he got. It was hard, firing into such a thick crowd of trolls, but he hadn't messed up yet. He looked downright wicked standing there with that murderous gleam in his eyes and the Crosshairs raised on one shoulder. In a different light, Karkat might have found him terrifying. Now, though, all he had the time to concentrate on was the battle at hand.

Behind him, Gamzee was just as focused. Karkat couldn't see him, but he could hear him. He could hear the sound of bones crunching and trolls screeching in agony, could hear juggling clubs clinking together in between blows. He could even hear the indigoblood's teeth gnashing together, hear him snarling and growling and spitting out nonsense about protecting his "motherfucking best friends."

Around him, everyone else was fighting hard. Aside from his quadrants, he could see the other rebels doing everything in their power to put the military troops down. Across the clearing, a blueblood was disemboweling an unrecognizable troll in a tattered uniform. To one side, a brownblood was stabbing a trident through the back of an unsuspecting combatant. To another, a yellowblood was slamming what looked like some kind of metal club over the head of a troop that was trying to take one of her arms off.

_They're all fighting so loyally,_ Karkat thought, having the presence of mind to draw his sickle across the back of his current opponent's knee before he could retaliate by trying to slit his throat.  _Maybe…we have a chance. Maybe we can actually do this._

 

* * *

 

On the other side of the city, things were going surprisingly well.

_"We've got them drawn all the way out to the outer edges of the city!"_  Feferi chirped through the com, letting Aradia know what was going on from her end. Sollux had positioned the two of them on opposite ends of the city, making sure there were two reliable commanders leading the charge on either side. Aradia had the east, which she currently had pretty under control. The ten squadrons on her side had drawn about one third of the military troops out into the city, and they were keeping them there. Apparently Sollux had managed to fry the base's electronics as promised, because there was no sign that the troops at the edges of the city had been called back to protect the main base. All communication had been cut off, which meant that everything was going according to plan. Or at least, she  _hoped_ everything was going according to plan. She hadn't heard anything from Sollux, so she really had no idea what was happening at the military compound.

"Aradia, um, we could use some help!"

She slid her communicator back into her sylladex without a second thought, lifting herself into the air with her psionics and throwing herself back into the fray, which she'd left momentarily to answer Feferi's call. She placed herself in the center of the battle, which was artfully confined to the outer edges of the city, and wrenched at the minds of all the enemy soldiers in her range.

The reaction was immediate. Half a dozen military troops screeched in confused agony, reeling from the force of her powers tearing at their minds—and a moment later those troops were dead, as the rebels took the opportunity to sit their throats where they stood.

"Thanks!" Tavros gasped, looking to her with a few stripes of drying brown painted across his face in his own blood. Someone must have caught him with their claws.

Aradia gave him a terse nod, then moved to the next area. It was simple like this—lash out, grab onto the minds of the troops, and watch as they were cut down. They were all of such low caste, of such meager power, that it didn't take much to take them down. The on-world military was—had always been— _weak_. The only difference now was that they had enough firepower to take advantage of that weakness.

_This is wrong,_ she found herself thinking, and it was a strange thought because she'd never had it before. And she'd killed members of the military before. But for some reason, now…

_It's not even a fight._

She sent out another pulse, and a dozen more troops went down.

_They're just like us. They don't support the Empire, they're just doing this because they think they'll die otherwise. They think they'll be sent to the flagship as punishment, cut down or sold into slavery. If they thought they'd be safe to choose, they'd choose us in a heartbeat. Just look at them; they're terrified._

"Um, Aradia? Is something, wrong?"

She closed her eyes. No matter what she felt, they had no choice but to do this. No one in the military would feel safe in choosing them unless they felt confident that they stood a chance at victory—and to do that, they had to prove they were strong enough to take over the largest military base on Alternia.

"No," she decided, even though it wasn't really true. "Nothing is wrong. Let's just finish this, Tavros, and make sure that Sollux and the others remain safe."

The brownblood nodded, readied his lance, and charged back into battle. Aradia followed a moment later. Her powers were tiring her out a bit, so each pulse affected less and less trolls.

Still, they were winning. With every passing moment more and more troops were going down, and the rebels were gaining more and more ground in the city. Where Aradia and Tavros's squadrons were fighting, there were more rebels than troops. That was a huge improvement. At this rate, they would win without losing many of their own. The military, on the other hand…

Aradia shuddered. She knew it was necessary, but she couldn't help but feel that with every troop they took down, they were committing some grievous crime.

 

* * *

 

"We've almost got them!" Sollux called above the din, and was answered immediately by a dozen cries of triumph. Most of the troops had been run out of the clearing or gunned down, leaving mostly rebels and a few stray troops in the area outside the base's back entrance. "Keep fighting! We're almost there!"

_Almost,_ Karkat thought, and he hoped it was true because he was starting to feel the result of fighting for an extended period of time. His whole body stung with various cuts and lacerations from where he'd been too slow to dodge one blow or another, scarlet dripping out to soak through his shirt and his cloak. The wounds weren't deadly, but they were enough to make fighting a bit of a chore. Still, he knew he had to persist if he wanted to live.

Limbs drooping slightly in his exhaustion, he lurched forward and kicked his current opponent in the chest. Unfortunately, the guy was  _huge,_ and the blow did little to distract him. He just reached out and swiped his claws at Karkat's face, barely missing, and the mutantblood had to throw himself back to avoid having his cheek gouged open. He swiped once, twice, struggling to put the troll on the ground and rip his throat out before he could get himself hurt any further. But the troll just snarled, stepped to one side, and landed a solid punch on his right temple.

_Oh, holy fuck._

The world spun momentarily, colors blurring around him into one confusing blob, and then he was on the ground.  _I need to get up!_  He thrashed. He fought to get his limbs beneath him. But the next thing he knew there was a boot slamming into his stomach, and the breath was stolen from his lungs. He tossed onto his back, choking.

"I've got you, Karbro!"

He was still too disoriented to see what happened next, but he could definitely hear it. Something whistled through the air, a loud roar split the earth, and then there was the sound of bone shattering. Something hot splattered across his body, smeared across his face. It smelled coppery.

The next moment there were hands on him. "Karbro? Karbro! Come on, brother, you gotta get up!" Fingers patted his cheeks. His head spun. "Aww, shit…"

Another voice sounded suddenly, right next to his ear. "It's okay, GZ, we're almost done here—just keep him down!"

After that, he could only hear what was happening. He heard steel shrieking against steel, claws ripping through flesh, teeth snapping together in vicious attempts to tear flesh from bone. The world was beginning to come back into focus, but  _slowly,_ and he wondered if this was how Eridan had felt when Vriska had decked him across the face and given him that concussion. Gamzee wouldn't stop  _touching_ him, too, and that wasn't helping the clarity of his mind at all.

Then, just like that, the sound of fighting drew to a halt.

"Let them go," Sollux was calling. "They're retreating, not going for reinforcements! Maybe they'll be inclined to join us once this all plays out."

That could only mean one thing—the troops had pulled away from the military base.

Something about that…seemed  _off_.

A dark shape dropped to their knees beside him. "Is he okay?"

Karkat forced his lips to move, his limbs to respond. "'M fine," he slurred painfully. "Where's Er'dan?"

"I'm right here," was the gentle response. "Come on, Kar, sit up…there you go."

A cool arm looped around his shoulders and pushed him up until he could lean back against Gamzee. Things were becoming more and more clear, and finally he could make out the shapes of Sollux and Eridan kneeling next to him. "Shit," he rasped.

"Shit," Eridan agreed. "What happened?"

"Fucker punched me in the head," Karkat rumbled. He shifted, pushing himself a little more upright, and this time his head only spun a little. "I'm fine, just give me a minute."

"You have more than that," Sollux said. "The troops retreated. All that's left is to get into the base and make sure there aren't any stragglers inside."

Again…something felt  _wrong_ about that. "Are you sure? It was that easy?"

Sollux just shook his head. "I don't get it either, but they just ran away. Maybe they're just as against the Empire as we are, or maybe—"

From not too far away, a rebel cried out. "Sollux, there's something coming toward us!"

_I knew it._

Sollux got to his feet. "What is it?" he snapped. "What's on its way here?"

"I'm not sure," the rebel said, "it's just…" He squinted somewhere vaguely to the west. "Oh. Oh, shit."

"What is it?" Sollux demanded again, stalking over to the rebel and glaring in the same direction. Then, "Oh no."

"Sol?" Eridan asked. "What is it?"

He didn't have to answer. Everyone heard it. The dull grind of metal, the shrieking of steel on pavement, the clicking of freshly sharpened culling forks.

Drones. An army of them.

"Fuck!" Sollux breathed. Then he raised his voice, ordering, "Everyone, at the ready! Drones inbound!"

"The military wasn't retreatin' for no reason, they were sendin' in the drones!" Eridan hissed. "Fuck, there are about a thousand of the damn things in this city alone! We'll be completely outnumbered!"

Karkat struggled to get his legs under him. If there were drones coming, he had to be on his feet and ready to fight.

"Woah, stay down!" Eridan tried to say.

"He's right," Gamzee murmured, "you're in no motherfucking condition to up and fight these things, Karbro."

"I  _have_ to be," was the biting response. He finally managed to get to his knees, then balance somewhat awkwardly on his feet as Gamzee helped him stand. He snatched his sickles off of the ground and tried to swing one experimentally. "I know how to fight drones better than any of you assholes."

Gamzee and Eridan exchanged glances. "If you get yourself killed, the rebellion will—"

"They'll be fucking thrilled is what they'll be, suddenly having a martyr dropped in their lap."

_"What_ did you say?"

Karkat blinked. He hadn't even realized Sollux had been listening.

"You're not a fucking martyr!" Sollux snarled, looking far more alarmed at the sound of the word than was necessary. "Where did you get that idea? I  _told_ you to tell me if you started having weird dreams, if people were telling you about your destiny or whatever—"

"What?" Karkat asked, stunned. "What's this about dreams again? You've been so fucking obsessed with  _dreams_ lately, what the fuck is your problem? We're about to face off against an army of drones! There are more important things!"

Sollux didn't look convinced. "You won't be a martyr," he repeated. "I won't let you."

"God, it's not like I want to die! I'm not just going to run out there and get killed on purpose!"

The psionic narrowed his eyes. "You'd better not. ED, GZ, I need you guys to keep on him when those drones show up."

"You're goin' to let him fight?" Eridan yelped.

"We don't have another choice! It's like he said, he knows drones better than any of us. He's the one that's fought them the most, back when we were still capturing them every other week."

"Exactly," Karkat huffed. He pushed Gamzee away and stood on his own, and found that he was only a little shaky. The initial shock of the attack had worn off. He was a bit steadier on his feet. "Stick close if you want, but I'm going to fucking  _fight_."

Gamzee nuzzled the top of his head affectionately. "I'm motherfucking with you, then, palebro."

Eridan shook his head, grumbling, "I guess I'm with you too. But if you go down again, I'm getting you out of here."

"Fair enough." He swung his sickles again, and this time he didn't wobble at all. He could hear the drones getting closer.

"Spread out!" Sollux called to the rebels. "Get to the edges of the clearing and hit their joints! Run if you have to; don't let them get too close!"

The rebels scrambled to obey. Fear of the drones was practically instinctual, pre-programed, and half the gathered rebels looked like they were about to pass out. They needed to  _focus._

"KK, take those two and get to the edge of the clearing!"

Karkat grabbed onto Gamzee and Eridan without a second thought, hauling ass for the treeline. "We need to be hidden by the time they show up."

"Won't the trees make it harder to fight?" Eridan asked, frowning.

"For the drones, yeah." Karkat pulled them behind the trees and crouched, watching the place where the drones would appear. Around the clearing, the other rebels were doing the same.

"Here they come," Eridan breathed.

Sure enough, the first one appeared around the edge of the building in a few seconds. It was a hulking thing, tall and broad and covered with sharp points and reaching claws. Deadly as sin, and accompanied by about a million of its closest friends.

No, that wasn't right—it was more like a hundred. The rest of them must have been in the city.

"Shit," Karkat whispered, "I really hope Sollux is going to call the rest of the rebels here for backup, because there's no way we're winning this. How many of us are left right now?"

Eridan hummed. "We haven't lost too many, so…maybe four hundred? Four hundred an' fifty?"

"That's what, about four trolls per drone? Trolls that have never fought them before?" Karkat groaned. "We're fucked."

"Let's just fight," Eridan insisted. "We'll worry about that after we take a few down ourselves."

The drones began to swarm, then, just like that. They scoured the clearing and moved on to the forest, plunging beyond the treeline and into the claws of the waiting rebels. Immediately, there was the sound of metal grinding on metal and terrified screeching from the trolls being attacked.

Karkat soon became one of those trolls, as one of the drones crashed through the treeline and descended upon them with a high, shrieking whine.

He fell into the dance he'd performed a hundred times before, though the moves were a bit rusty and even more pained. His head was still throbbing with every move he made, but he refused to die like  _this_ , not after all the shit he'd been through.

_The weak points are simple,_ he remembered.  _Hit the joints around the limbs with all the force you have. Dent them, crack them, whatever you want—just make sure they can't keep moving._

Karkat lunged forward, sickles poised to strike, and managed to duck under the drone's first swing and lash out in an attempt to get at the joint of its first arm. Unfortunately, the drone was ready—and only a quick blast from the Crosshairs knocked the thing's arm away before it could swipe Karkat right across the chest.

"Be careful!" Eridan snarled, firing again, then again, the shots bouncing off of the hard metal shell and streaking away into the trees. At his other side Gamzee was moving, slow and controlled, clubs twirling between his fingertips as he slammed them into the ankle joint of the drone. Unfortunately it didn't seem to do much more than inflict a minor dent. The drone kicked, Gamzee yelped, and the next moment he was landing hard a few feet away.

Karkat took advantage of the drone's distracted state to leap forward and grab onto its extended arm. He drove the curve of his sickle down in the fuse between two metal plates, and sparks sprayed the air. He was thrown off, but Eridan was there to support him before he even hit the ground.

"Annoying little shit," the seadweller hissed at the drone. He fired the crosshairs again, this time at the place where Karkat had damaged the plating. The drone growled, whined, and then stuttered as one of its many arms crashed to the ground. Gamzee quickly took advantage of the momentary stagger to use the felled arm as a stepstool and smash one club into the shoulder joint of the next of its five arms. The drone shrieked, this low, metallic sound, and lashed out viciously.

Karkat tackled Gamzee a heartbeat before the drone's culling fork would have taken his head off. "Idiot, pay attention!"

Gamzee's eyes went sharp and dangerous. He didn't say a thing, just got to his feet and pushed Karkat off him.

"Gamzee?"

The indigoblood twirled his clubs once, twice, three times, and charged the drone with a snarl. The thing swiped at him. It clawed and bit and scratched with its three remaining undamaged arms and its one battered appendage, hooking and slicing and doing everything in its power to take Gamzee down before he got too close. Its long-range lasers were just starting to heat up, but a few blasts from Eridan took its cannons out before they could cause any trouble.

Gamzee moved like a demon. Karkat watched, stunned, as the highblood easily swept through the tangle of mechanical limbs, denting joints here and there as he went. He wasn't doing much in the way of damage, seeing as the shell of the drone was too thick to get through with only his juggling clubs, but he was stunning the thing enough to weave through its defenses until he reached the massive body. He hooked the claws of one hand into an arm joint and used it to haul himself up onto the drone's back.

"Damn," Eridan breathed, and Karkat couldn't help but agree. Where was this coming from?

Gamzee roared, eyes flashing dangerously, and brought both his clubs down on the back of the drone's neck. The entire thing groaned with the strain of it. Sparks flew, Gamzee struck again, and the next moment the drone was staggering. Its head dropped until its neck was exposed.

_There's the window!_ Karkat snapped out of his daze long enough to slip forward and take advantage of the drone's sudden weakness. He leapt, ducking and leaping over the arms as they lashed out in an attempt to disembowel him, and soon enough he was close enough to jump up and hook his sickles around the thing's massive neck. He fell, letting his body weight drag the blades through the wiring until the drone was sparking and hissing.

There was a flash of blue, then the interior of the drone was completely melted and smoking. Eridan snapped, "It can still move so long as its limbs are attached! Take them all out at the joints!"

Karkat tried to back away, then yelped as one of the drone's flailing limbs caught him across the shoulder. It had been the flat of the thing's hands, not a culling fork or other sharp point, so the worst it did was fling him back a few feet.

Gamzee wasn't amused.

_"Motherfucker!"_ he screeched, and oh no, Karkat did  _not_ like the look on his face. The indigo whipped forward with a vicious sneer painting his features and  _lashed,_ cracking his clubs across one leg joint and forcibly removing the entire thing from the body of the drone. He was moving to the next before the drone even had the chance to process what was going on. Another blow, another leg lost, and soon enough Gamzee was standing there panting amidst the carnage of the felled drone.

Suddenly Karkat understood why the Empire was so desperate to take indigobloods and use them in battle.

Then Gamzee took a step forward, expression dark and dangerous, clubs raised, and immediately Karkat snapped into action.

"Gamzee!" he called out. He approached on light feet, hands held out in front of him. "Gamzee," he repeated, "it's me, it's Karkat, it's your moirail…I'm okay, see?" He spread his arms. Winced at the feel of the shift in his sore shoulder. "There's no need to look like that."

"Kar, wait!" Eridan hissed. "Maybe we should use this."

"What, use his psychotic state?" Karkat snapped. He kept advancing on Gamzee with slow, measured steps. "Shoosh, Gamzee, it's okay now…"

Eridan made a move like he was planning on stepping forward, but thought better of it in the face of quite possibly being gored by an angry highblood. "He could take out a dozen drones on his own! If you turn him on the next drone—"

"There's the chance he'll turn on the rebels, and we can't let that happen," Karkat insisted. He reached Gamzee with one final step and shooshed him. Dragging his palms down his moirail's cheeks provoked the immediate response of his clubs falling to the ground and his hands coming up to rest uncertainly on Karkat's shoulders.

"Karbro?" he rumbled.

"Shoosh, you disaster," he soothed. "We have a fucking battle to fight, and I can't take this much time shooshing you every time you think something's hurt me. Can I trust you to stay calm and keep fighting?"

Gamzee blinked at him slowly. The murderous glint in his eyes was slowly draining away, now, and he finally let his arms slide around Karkat's shoulders with a half-confused murmur. "Yeah," he said finally. "Yeah, motherfucking best friend, I've got you. I can up and handle this shit."

"You'd better be able to," Karkat warned. "Because—"

"Kar, drone incomin'!"

Because  _that._ Karkat grabbed onto Gamzee and lurched to one side a heartbeat before a culling fork stabbed into he ground where they'd been standing a moment prior.  _Shit!_

Karkat screeched as the drone swept an arm across and knocked both him and Gamzee back. All around, the sound of battle rang through the trees. From the sound of things, nothing was going very well. The rebels hadn't been trained to fight drones, were terrified of them, were being pushed back in their sheer horror.

_Please, Sollux…call in reinforcements soon._


	32. Manifest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first battle for Alternia draws to a close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I've made it back to my hometown in one piece! Vacation was fun but I'm exhausted, so I think I'm just going to sit around and sleep for about three days straight. But in the meantime, have another chapter! We're creeping up on the end of this story, though I do have one more massive twist planned so be on the lookout for actual heartbreak. Fun!
> 
> This week's chapter is [ Manifest ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRyR86DGMlA) by Audiomachine.

Karkat panted, blood dripping down his face, soaking the collar of his shirt. There was a gash across his forehead, leaking scarlet into his eyes to go along with the shallow slash across his stomach and the flurry of cuts and scrapes over his back, arms, and legs, and every move strained his aching body just a little further. He fucking  _hurt,_ goddamn it, but he was one of the last remaining rebels in the clearing.

Most of the original team of five hundred had been forced to run, taking the drones with them in pursuit. Karkat was still there, as were his quadrants and about a dozen others, but they were outnumbered and outmatched. It felt like they'd been fighting forever. Gamzee had slipped into a rage about five drones back and Karkat had been too exhausted to stop him as he went around cracking mechanical skulls and narrowly avoiding killing the rebels in the process. Despite him taking drones down left and right, though, despite the remaining rebels' best efforts, they were being steadily pushed back into the clearing and cornered against the military compound. There wasn't anywhere to run, not anymore. They were there until they won or died.

Karkat threw himself desperately to one side as a drone tried to split him in two with its culling fork. He choked as he hit the ground and all of his injuries were jostled painfully. A blast of plasma seared past him the instant he went down—Eridan, no doubt, despite the fact that he'd sustained quite a few injuries of his own. One eye was sealed closed with crusted blood, and there was a nasty cut above his eyebrow that was still leaking a sluggish trail of purple. He was sure there were more, hidden beneath his clothing, but he couldn't see anything from where he was sprawled out on the ground.

Karkat peeled himself up off the ground just in time to see the drone he'd been fighting go down. There was a snap of red and blue, a spray of sparks, and then the thing was forcibly dismantled right in front of him. Sollux landed on its chest with an exhausted gasp.

_How close are you to burnout?_ Karkat wondered.  _How long until it's too much? We've been fighting for so long…_

"We're so fucked," Sollux panted, confirming his suspicions. He whirled around and kept fighting, shooting psionics every which way, but it was obvious he was getting tired. Hell,  _everyone_ was. The fight had gone from easy to impossible in a heartbeat. The city was swarming with drones, with rebels doing everything in their power to take them down and failing, and sooner than later something was going to give. Right now, it looked like that something would be the rebels.

"Tell me you called in some kind of help," Karkat begged. "Aradia, Tavros,  _anyone."_

Sollux nodded. "AA is coming with her squadron, but…"

_But that's probably not going to be enough. We're fucked, just like he said. We've probably already lost a third of our forces to these things, and it's just going to get worse the longer the fight goes on._

Karkat groaned as two drones appeared out of nowhere and came stomping up to him. Eridan fired, Sollux sparked his powers, and Karkat dodged and slashed rhythmically. Somewhere, Gamzee roared.

"I don't understand how this is happening," Sollux gasped exhaustedly. "The pulse beacon should have shut them down!"

"You don't say!" Karkat bit out. It was slow, but every passing moment was backing them further and further into a corner. Something had to change, and something had to change  _now._

Something pulsed in the air. Not Sollux's crackling energy, but something duller. More peaceful.  _Aradia._

She appeared on the horizon with a flash of red light. She was propelling herself with her powers, red swirling around her as she flew right for them and came to a halt above the clearing. She was hurt too, rust spilling out from somewhere on her shoulder, but her eyes were hard as flint as she raised a hand and wrenched at the drones.

_It won't be enough._

The rest of Aradia's squadron appeared through the trees with weapons drawn. They helped, there was no doubt of that—they immediately swarmed to help the pinned rebels, stabbing weapons into joints and smashing the flats of blades to sensory scanners to confuse the drones—but they were still at a disadvantage.

What they needed was  _help._ A miracle from  _somewhere_.

And then, to Karkat's astonishment, that was exactly what they got.

It happened quick.

One moment the drones were slashing and screeching and turning this way and that in an attempt to get at the remaining rebels, and the next they were on the ground. They didn't show even a single sign of moving.

Completely deactivated.

"What the fuck?" Karkat snapped, confused. He kicked at the nearest drone, but there was no response. It just  _sat_  there. "Uh…"

Sollux flicked his psionics at the thing. "Damn," he whispered, "it's completely dead. Circuits are fried."

Karkat tried to take a step forward, then flinched when he was suddenly smacked in the back by a pair of horns and bowled over by the crushing embrace that followed.

A low rumble sounded in his ear. "Karbro, are you all motherfucking good?"

_Gamzee._ He tried to turn and found his moirail latched onto him, face buried in the back of his neck, arms hooked around his chest. He was shaking a little, leftover rage from his minor break. At least he wasn't full blown psychotic at the moment. Karkat had half expected him to start attacking rebels the instant the drones shut down.

"Gamzee," he said quickly, hearing a growl beginning to build up in his moirail's chest, "I'm fine. Shoosh."

The growl stopped immediately, replaced by a deep, throbbing purr. Gamzee tightened his grip and nuzzled into him, and that seemed to be enough to stop him from going on another rampage.

Sollux, meanwhile, was tapping furiously at his communicator. "It's the same all across the city," he said. "The commanders are reporting that all the drones just dropped dead. They're no longer a threat, and we have no idea why."

"Well, somethin' had to take them down!" Eridan insisted. He approached the drone (keeping a wide berth around where Gamzee was practically welded to Karkat, probably for fear of triggering some kind of violent episode) and jabbed at it with the muzzle of the crosshairs. "I know drones inside and out, and I don't know anythin' that could have made them drop dead like this."

"Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth, shall we?" Aradia piped up. She landed beside them with a poof of dust. "I'm rather willing to accept this instance of deus ex machina."

Sollux snorted. "God from the machine indeed. Come on, let's gather everyone up and get inside. We're too close to quit now."

Karkat tore his eyes away from the drone long enough to look around at the surrounding clearing. Most of the rebels had been chased away by the drones, but there were a good dozen left to go into the base. On top of that, he heard Sollux radioing for help from the rebels no longer engaged in a fight. Most of the rebels looked a little battered, but there were only one or two that were seriously injured. Far more than that were dead, but he wouldn't think about that just yet.

"Come on!" Sollux called. "Those of you that can still fight are coming into the building with me. There should still be a few troops around once we get in there, so don't let your guard down. Let's go through and make sure that the base is fully under our control. And if you find anything that can tell us why the drones just stopped working, that would be good too." He flicked a wrist towards the door, winced, and the sheets of metal blew off with a slew of purple sparks.

Karkat tried to move and was immediately tugged back by the solid, Gamzee-sized weight across his back. "Gamzee!" he hissed. "Let me the fuck go, we need to get in there!"

Gamzee squeezed him tighter. "Stay close?" he mumbled into his neck, sounding dangerously coherent. "Don't think I can motherfucking take it if we get too far apart right now."

He knew better than to let a statement like that go unanswered. The absolute  _last_ thing he needed was a murder clown rampaging around. "Okay," he said. "Hold my hand."

Gamzee obeyed with relish. This time when Karkat tried to move forward, there was nothing stopping him. Sollux stepped inside, Eridan followed, and Karkat was quick to catch up. The other rebels followed close behind.

"You doin' okay?" Eridan murmured as they waited for everyone to get inside.

"I'm okay," Karkat said. "What about you? You look like hell."

Eridan winced, brushing a few fingers over the oozing cut above his eyebrow. "I've been better. Got a nasty bruise across my gills that won't be goin' away anytime soon."

He winced. "Fuck, that's awful."

Eridan shrugged painfully. "Better than a concussion."

Karkat snorted, then turned to observe the situation at hand. They were standing just inside the back entrance of the base, with metallic halls stretching both ways into the base beyond. It looked cold and sterile, and other than the streaks of blood from where a few injured troops had retreated inward, there was nothing around but a few doors beset into the far wall, presumably leading to different areas of the base.

"Okay," Sollux said, turning to the gathered rebels. "Split into groups of two or three and search the place. Take out anyone you find and make sure the area is secure. If you need help, just yell. This place is echo-y as hell, so someone is bound to hear you." The rebels followed his directions without question. Different groups went off in different areas, ready to get rid of whoever got in their way.

"Stay close, you disaster," Karkat ordered his moirail with an emphatic tug on his hand. "I don't trust you to go off on your own until I've shooshpaped you into oblivion."

Gamzee rumbled out a content purr. "Thanks, best friend."

He huffed out an embarrassed sound. Then, "Eridan, are you coming?"

_"Both_ of us are coming," Sollux said, shoving Eridan aside. "We can be a group of four, just in case."

"Isn't that a little unfair?" Karkat teased. "Someone else could use your powers, you know."

"I'm too fried to do much more than spark." Sollux gestured down the hall. "Come on, I want to see if we can find the communications room. We can get it running again and send a message out to the rest of the military telling them to surrender."

Karkat exchanged glances with the others, shrugged, and followed without question.

The base was…kind of drab, actually. There weren't really any troops around. Most of them must have run off into the city, thinking they'd be safer there. The further they went, the more Karkat was convinced there weren't going to be any military troops in the building.

Then they rounded a corner, and came face to face with a rather frail-looking rustblood. She jumped the instant she saw them, eyes wide, but she didn't reach for a weapon.

Sollux raised a hand immediately to strike her down, but Karkat grabbed his wrist before he could smite the poor girl where she stood. "Wait!" he yelped. Sollux turned, ready to snarl at him for the disruption, but Karkat just shook his head and pointed back to the guard. Sollux whipped back around to face her.

She didn't even hesitate. She bowed her head, stepped aside, and gestured for them to pass.

"Oh," Sollux breathed. "Shit, I—I'm sorry."

Karkat rolled his eyes and stepped forward, dragging Gamzee with him by default. "I don't suppose you know where the communications room is?" he asked gently.

The guard looked up at him in surprise. "You're close already. Walk to the end of this hall, turn right, and go five doors down to the right. There will be guards inside, but I don't know if they'll fight you." She shuffled nervously. "Most of us didn't want to fight in the first place, but we're afraid of the Commander and…well, the Empire, I guess. If you see a blueblood, kill him before he has the chance to kill  _you."_

Karkat nodded. "Noted. In the meantime, I want you to hide. There are rebels all over this building, and not all of them are going to ask questions first. You can come out when you hear us call over the intercom for anyone that wants to join us."

The troop gave a polite nod. "Thank you, Signless."

He tensed at the sound of the name. "That's not me," he murmured. "Just call me Karkat."

She blinked. "Okay, then…thank you, Karkat."

He dipped his head, glanced back at his quadrants to make sure they were with him, then swept past the former guard. They trekked silently, though there was a slightly charged sort of tension around them after the encounter. Sollux kept shooting him these  _glances,_ and Karkat remembered the way he'd gone off on him for even suggesting the possibility that he'd become a martyr, or follow in his ancestor's footsteps, or just associate himself with the guy in  _any_ way. What was with him lately?

He turned right. Counted the doors as they passed.  _One, two, three, four…_

"This should be it," Karkat announced, staring at the closed door. "So what, do we just go charging in there?"

Sollux pushed him aside. "I'll go in first. Be prepared to fight if they decide they don't want to negotiate."

Then, just like that, he was shoving the door open and stepping into the room. Karkat followed soon after, with Gamzee following after him and Eridan after him.

There were about a dozen trolls in the communications room, all of them looking frazzled and downright exhausted. All of them turned the instant they heard the door open, but none of them moved for a weapon. That was a good sign.

Finally, one of them stepped forward.  _Blueblood,_ Karkat recognized, and in an instant he was clenching his sickles in both hands. The rest of his party seemed to be similarly armed.

"What's this?" the blueblood snarled, bristling like an affronted cat. "You've made it all the way here, have you? Do you actually think you can  _win?"_

"Things are lookin' pretty good for us right now," Eridan snapped pettily. He raised the Crosshairs. "We've just got to take you out, and that will be that."

"Hah! I've got a dozen trolls ready to tear you down, and there are only four of you."

Karkat sneered, "A dozen trolls under your thumb, is it? Do they actually want to fight us, or are you just throwing their lives away against their will?"

"They serve me!" the blueblood snarled. "Their lives are mine to do with as I please!"

"That's bullshit! They're their own trolls, and they should be able to choose for themselves!"

"You're only saying that in a pathetic attempt at conversion," was the snooty response.

His sneer deepened, features twisting viciously. "I'm saying it because it's fucking  _true!_  I don't give a shit if they choose to fight for you, but it should be their choice! At least  _we_ can say that no one that's on our side is here because of fear!"

The blueblood narrowed his eyes. Clicked his fingers. "Troops, attack these fools at once!"

For a moment, there was silence. Then the troops were on their feet, twelve in total, watching the rebels uncertainly. None looked certain of their actions.

"Well?" the blueblood snarled. "Attack them!"

The troll closest to him flicked their wrist, and the next moment a wicked cutlass was appearing in his hand. A yellowblood by the look of him, tall and lanky like Sollux. His eyes had gone hard, and Karkat readied himself for a fight.

It happened fast. There was a flicker of movement, a snarl, a spray of blood—and then the blueblood's head was hitting the ground, rolling rather morbidly to rest against Sollux's shoe.

The troops were silent. Then the yellowblood gave them a curt nod and said, "We're at your command, sir."

A surge of warmth overcame Karkat all at once. "Thank you," he rasped. "I…know it takes courage, standing up to someone you're been taught to believe is your superior."

He received a collection of agreeing nods and murmurs. All twelve of the troops looked calm, determined. This was something they had decided in advance, that they would join the rebels if they managed to make it this far.

Sollux pushed his way forward. "We need to contact the rest of the on-world military troops," he said. "We want to tell them we've seized control of the base and offer them the chance of joining us peacefully. Can you help us do that?"

"Of course. That's our job." The yellowblood turned and sat back down in his chair, punching down a few buttons and fiddling with the controls. Around him, the other troops were working as well. Twisting dials, pressing keys, getting ready. Then a microphone was being passed to Sollux along with the murmur of, "You can say whatever you want. Everyone will hear. It'll be on television, even."

Sollux paused. "KK…do you want to do it? You're better with words."

Karkat shook his head. "I've flapped my gums enough for one day. You do it."

The psionic took the microphone without another word. Took a deep breath, tapping the thing to make sure it was broadcasting. Then, finally, he was talking.

"This is Sollux Captor, co-leader and founder of the rebellion. If you're hearing this, then the rebellion has taken control of the main military base on Alternia, and now has complete authority over the planet's largest city. We are thousands strong, strong enough to entirely wreck the military compound, and strong enough to put up a fight when the Condesce comes knocking. Strong enough to take the drones down, even! So whoever you are out there, whatever you're doing, take heart. If you're afraid to join us,  _don't be._ We were strong enough to do this, and we  _will_  be strong enough to meet the Condesce toe to toe, with all of Alternia at our command.

"You don't have to be afraid anymore. Join us if you will, and we can win this war that should have ended thousands of sweeps ago when the Sufferer first walked Alternia. Let us take this opportunity, while his dancestor still stands, to make sure the mistakes of the past are  _not_  repeated! If you're a member of the military, a civilian, an adult in hiding, even a member of the fleet, we will welcome you! We are not in the business of discriminating based on blood color, and you have my word that you will not be harmed just because you served the Empire in the past. If that were the case, we never would have let the former Vice Admiral into our care. So—if you have even the smallest doubt that the Condesce deserves to continue her long and brutal rule of Alternia, come to us! We will fight together to end this awful war."

Karkat snickered. "Who said you were bad at giving speeches? You did just as well as me, fuckass."

Sollux put the mic down with a huff. "Don't tease me, KK. We sent the call, now all that remains to be seen is whether or not the military will answer it. They'll either join us in their entirety or fight, and we  _really_ don't want them to fight."

"I don't think you'll have a problem with that," one of the former troops said. "Most of the soldiers around here lost belief in the Condesce as a ruler the instant Vice Admiral Ampora turned on her and the Signless' descendant joined the fray."

Hope seared through Karkat. Maybe, just maybe, they would have gained enough here to compensate for what they'd lost. "I don't suppose you know why those drones shut off?"

The same troop shook his head. "No clue, sir. I've never seen anything like it."

"Another mystery, then," Sollux muttered. "Fine, we'll deal with it later. You guys have medics around, right?"

"They should be somewhere in the city or hidden in the lower levels, yes."

"Good. Fetch them and make sure they're prepared to deal with the injured, okay? A lot of trolls are going to be hurt because of this battle, and we'll need a lot of room to treat them."

The troll dipped his head. "We'll take care of it, sir."

"Good." Sollux turned his gaze on Eridan, then Gamzee, then Karkat. "The three of you should go down to the infirmary and get some help. You're all pretty beat up."

"What," Eridan snapped, "and you're not? You look like shit!"

"I'll be with you soon," Sollux assured them. "There are just a few more things I want to do. Besides, most of my exhaustion is from using my psionics, and the only thing that will fix that is time."

Eridan bristled, opening his mouth to continue arguing, but Karkat elbowed him before he had the chance. "Come on," he ordered, "we're going to…" He hesitated. "Where's the infirmary?"

"Take the lift at the end of the hall up one level," one of the soldiers said. "That entire floor is pretty much designated for just that. We'll have the medics up to you as soon as possible."

"Great," Karkat said. He grabbed onto Eridan, tightened his current hold on Gamzee, and tugged them out of the room.

 

* * *

 

The second floor was, Karkat found, indeed entirely reserved to act as an infirmary. There were hundreds of cots in dozens of rooms, and countless stations for medics to work. Said medics had arrived not too long ago, along with a slew of rebels and converted troops off the battlefield. Karkat and his quadrantmates had quickly chosen one of the smaller rooms and curled up in the corner on three respective cots. The medics were treating the more serious injuries first, seeing as there weren't enough of them to treat everyone at once, and there were only a few in the room they were sitting in. Luckily, it didn't look like anyone in their room was about to die. The most serious injury was what looked like a rather nasty stab wound to the leg.

"Kar?"

Karkat looked up. Eridan was lying on his stomach on the cot next to his, eyes peeking out from beneath the cape he was using as a blanket. One bed over, Gamzee snoozed peacefully. "What is it?" he asked tiredly.

"Are…are you okay?" he asked hesitantly.

Karkat frowned. "I'm fine. Just a little nauseous from the blow to the head, and a little light-headed from the blood loss, but it's nothing I can't handle. Obviously I've had worse." Eridan cringed, and he asked, "Are  _you_ okay?"

Eridan bit his lip. "I, ah…I'm okay. I mean, my eye is kinda messed up from all the blood drippin' in it, and there are a few nasty cuts elsewhere, but…I'm okay." He curled in on himself a little. He wasn't okay.

"Eridan," Karkat warned, "tell me the truth. We didn't come this fucking far to have you close up on me now."

The seadweller pressed the points of his fingers together nervously. "I mean…I'm fine physically and all, but would it be, ah…would it be too forward 'a me to ask for…?" He twiddled his thumbs.

"Just spit it out!"

Eridan flushed a dark violet. "I want to fuckin' cuddle with you, all right?"

He blinked. "Oh. Um…?"

The flush deepened, and he said, "Sorry…I know it's probably a bit too forward, but I'm kinda freakin' out over the battle here and the fact that we actually  _won,_ and the whole goin' to fight the Condesce next thing, and the fact that you're banged up and so is everyone else and I just…" He trailed off with a choked sort of sound. "Sorry," he repeated in a low rasp.

"Oh, no," Karkat sighed. His heart was shot through with scarlet, and he found himself reaching for his matesprit without having willed himself to do so. "Get over here," he griped. "I can't reach you from there."

Eridan's eyes lit up. He pushed himself up in a hurry, stopped to wince when the movement jostled his wounds, then threw himself heavily across Karkat's lap. The weight of it made them both groan with pain, but neither protested past that initial noise.

Karkat reached for Eridan without a second thought. Fingers carded through his hair, tugged gently on the silken strands, scratched between the lightning-bolt horns. Eridan chirred when he ran his fingers over the bases of the candy-corn protrusions, the sound intensifying into a full-blown purr when Karkat closed his hands around them. He wasn't pressing hard, just nudging enough to get some of the relaxing biochemicals flowing. It was enough to melt the seadweller to putty beneath his fingers, though, even as Karkat wished he had someone to help  _him_ relax that wasn't either sprawled across his lap or asleep in a cot.

Eridan's purring rumbled through him, rattling his bone, and…actually, that was plenty comforting enough. Karkat realized abruptly that his own chest was vibrating slightly with the beginnings of his own purr, the sound coaxed from him by Eridan's comforting weight pressing over him. Karkat dropped his hands to the seadweller's back and rubbed gently in a vague imitation of a massage. He carefully avoided the patches of violet from where there were presumably cuts littering his flesh.

The seadweller shifted suddenly, murmuring, "Kar…" He pushed himself up, twisting until he was on his back instead of his front, then tugged himself up using Karkat's shoulders. Karkat winced at the tug of it, but knew what Eridan was trying to do. He helped him, hooking an arm around his waist and pulling him up. Eridan ended up curled around him like a wiggler, head tucked into the joinder of neck and shoulder, arms curled up under his shoulders to clutch at his back, legs clenched tight around his waist. It hurt a little, jostling Karkat's wounds, but he decided promptly to put up with it when the contact put him closer to the comforting thrum emanating from his matesprit's chest.

"I'm glad you're safe," Eridan murmured against his skin. "I couldn't stand to lose you again, Kar."

He couldn't help himself. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the base of Eridan's right horn. "It's over now," he said, feeling the full-body shudder that resulted from the kiss. "We're safe."

"Yeah, but for how long? We have the main Alternian city under our control, but…the next step is the other two cities, and then the Condesce. What if…?"

Karkat patted him on the cheek in what he hoped was a comforting manner. "We don't have to worry about that for a while, so just shut up and let me hold you, okay? I'm enjoying this."

Eridan gave a content little chirp and snuggled closer. It was weird, holding someone so much larger than himself like he was nothing more than a wiggler, but it made him feel surprisingly calm. Eridan was his. He was holding him, keeping him safe, and that was all that mattered.

Unfortunately, it couldn't last forever. Karkat had just closed his eyes in an attempt at getting some rest when someone started poking him in the shoulder. A medic, ready to treat their wounds at last.

"It's okay," she whispered, "I can check your head wound without waking him." She rummaged around in her sylladex before pulling out a pen light. "Open your eyes wide and don't blink."

It went on like that for a while, varying tests making sure he was okay. He had a minor concussion from that asshole soldier that had punched him in the head, and the medic assured him that there wouldn't be any lasting damage, just a nasty bruise that would turn the side of his head into a tender mess for a few weeks. He did finally have to put Eridan down, much to the seadweller's chagrin, but it was just long enough to strip down and let the medic sterilize his wounds and slap bandages on the more severe ones. She told him he'd have a scar from the gash on his chest, but it would just be one more to add to the dozens he'd acquired on the flagship. He didn't care about scars anymore.

The medic moved on to Eridan next. He was sleepy and groggy the whole time, but the medic was able to clean the cut above his eyebrow and put a butterfly bandage on it easily enough. The rest of his wounds were relatively minor, other than the bruising around his gills (which the medic had no idea how to treat, but Eridan assured her they'd heal on their own in a week or two), and they took no time at all to patch up. After the last of the blood had been dabbed from his eye, finally allowing him to open it again, the medic moved to Gamzee and was gone.

Eridan groaned low and pained when she finally left. "Ow," he complained, "my fuckin' gills hurt like hell."

_All_ of Karkat hurt like hell, but he decided not to say anything about it. Instead he just pushed himself back until he was propped up against the pillows, as comfortable as he was going to get. "Come here," he ordered, extending his arms. Eridan didn't hesitate for a moment. He flopped himself back against Karkat again, this time pressing his back against his chest, and slumped down exhaustedly. His lightning-bolt horns provided the perfect frame for Karkat's chin, and he pressed his face down between them tiredly.

That was how he fell asleep, then, pressed up against Eridan, curled around him like a blanket, and hoping desperately that the following days would grant them a reprieve from the recent chaos.

 

* * *

 

Late, late, that night, Sollux finally let himself slump down into a chair in the communications room. It had been hours, but he'd finally managed to sort everything out in the city. He'd gotten all the injured rebels the help they needed, had counted the remaining forces, had made sure that the military troops that had chosen to join them had tossed their uniforms and gotten into something a little more comfortable…he'd done it all. As it turned out, pretty much all of the military troops had gladly dropped their weapons once they'd realized that their Commander had been killed. They'd no longer wanted to fight—had probably never wanted to fight in the first place. It was as Karkat had suspected. They were simply scared that if they joined the rebellion, they would be immediately punished. Now that they thought they were at least relatively safe in betraying the Empire, they were willing to do so with ease.

After many hours of ordering people around, it seemed like things were finally at least somewhat peaceful. In the next few days would come a public address where Karkat and Sollux got up in front of the crowd and explained everything to the whole world, and then after that they would move on to the next leg of their adventure. Not now, though—now he needed to rest, to lick his wounds and get some rest.

It took him all of three minutes to find the room Karkat was staying in when he reached the infirmary. All he had to do was follow the sound of pure and utter idiocy, and there he was. Curled up with Eridan, which made Sollux's chest twinge in pained irritation. But…he supposed Eridan had more than proven himself at this point, so he owed him at least this much. He had earned the right to be trusted.

Sollux took what had presumably been Eridan's cot before he'd crawled over to cuddle with Karkat. He crashed down on the thing with a huff and finally let himself start to unwind. Inside, he was a storm of chaotic fear and anticipation. They'd won this battle. They'd actually managed to get control of the military base, and the majority of the soldiers had chosen to  _join_ them. This time they'd been successful, but the cost had been great. They'd lost an unfortunate number of rebels, hundreds if he'd counted correctly, and he feared that the blow would be enough to dishearten them despite the victory that had resulted because of those losses. He could only hope that losing so many of them to the unexpected drone attack wouldn't prove to be too harsh a blow to their morale.

The next step wasn't going to be easy. He knew that. He would have to give his troops time to recover, time to rest and get their spirits back up, and then they would need to contact the rebels that were gathering in the other two Alternian cities and convince them to overthrow their chapters of the military. After that, they would have full control of Alternia and the power necessary to challenge the Condesce.

But…there were so many things that could go wrong. What if Vriska's plan to hamper the flagship had failed, and she would arrive in a matter of days to put an end to the rebellion before they were ready to stand against her? What if the rebels decided this battle had been too rough, had resulted in the deaths of too many people, and some of them wanted to run? What if…just,  _what if?_  There were too many things that could result in failure. He knew that.

"Whatever you're thinking, cut it out."

He jumped, startled. "KK? I thought you were asleep!"

The troll blinked at him exhaustedly, but managed a small smile nonetheless. "Eridan's heavy," he murmured. "Makes it hard to sleep too deeply. Plus, you woke me up when you flopped down just now. Asshole."

"Sorry," Sollux said with a wince. "Why don't you push him onto the ground?"

Karkat glared. "Captor, don't test me. I'm too fucking exhausted for your shit."

"Just don't complain to me when you don't sleep well."

Karkat snarled, then, but it was more teasing than malicious—he clearly understood that after this battle, the last of Sollux's suspicious that Eridan still served the Empire had died. Instead of fighting, he chose to change the subject back to the very things that were making Sollux's stomach twist. "Are you thinking about the next step?"

Sollux gave a forlorn nod. "There are so many things that could go wrong. So many paths that could lead to our immediate death. What if…?"

Karkat rolled his eyes, saying, "You can't focus on that.  _We_ can't focus on that. It's our job as leaders of the rebellion to put aside all the bullshit about what  _might_ happen and focus on what is  _actually_ happening. If we spend too much time agonizing over the worst case scenario, we'll just dishearten the rebels. They'll think that we believe there's not really a chance of winning. So shut the fuck up with that defeatist bullshit, get some rest, and we'll deal with contacting the rebels in the other cities. And for fuck's sake, go to Aradia when you feel like this! You have a moirail for a reason, fuckbrain."

He did have a moirail, and she was sleeping back in Feferi's castle. She definitely would have been okay with waking up to talk to him, but…

He sighed. "Okay. Good night, KK."

"Night, dumbass."


	33. Tomes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this chapter feels a bit shorter, that's because I chose to cut the majority of the sex scene that was originally planned for the end. There is still sexual content, it's just not as graphic and leaves a ton up to the imagination. So if you're not interested, feel free to skip that portion! 
> 
> I do want to say that I know there are people not on board with Karkat's seeming forgiveness of Eridan and that I understand that completely, but I ALSO want to say that that storyline is not wrapped up! There's still something big down the line that I think will put a lot of your irritation at rest. Not all of it, definitely, but at the very least there'll be what I believe is a good explanation for what's going on here.
> 
> This week's chapter is [ Tomes ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFah9BL4Etg) by Danny Baranowsky.

Eridan awoke late the next morning, unusually warm and content _,_ and found himself sprawled out over Karkat like a blanket.

It probably would have been polite to move. Eridan knew he wasn't the lightest troll around simply due to his height, lanky though he may have been, and it looked like Karkat had gotten a little squished during the night. But he was so comfortable…and Karkat was so warm…

Okay, fine. He should move. Slowly, haltingly, Eridan slid himself off of his matesprit (and on god, just the sound of that word, the way it finally  _applied_ to Karkat again after all this time, made his heart flutter) and tucked himself tight against his side. Karkat made this soft, vulnerable sound, like a chittering click deep in his chest, and pressed his cheek into Eridan's chest.  _Holy fuck, I can't ruin this by waking him up. He'll flay me alive._

The smaller troll stuttered out a rusty purr, and Eridan nearly melted.  _How did I give him up in the first place? What possessed me to leave him and join the Condesce? God, I was such an idiot, I love him so fuckin' much…_

"You look comfortable," came a soft murmur from the next cot over, and Eridan froze. He half-turned, making Karkat huff out an irritated murmur, and found one Sollux Captor sitting on the adjacent cot and staring with sharp, analytical eyes.

"Sol?" he whispered. He didn't want to risk waking Karkat. "What're you…?"

The psionic narrowed his eyes. "It's nearly noon," he informed him coolly. "Everyone is recovering right now, though, so there's no need to jump out of bed just yet."

"Right…" Eridan frowned at him. Shuffled a little, getting into a more comfortable position from which to look at him. "Why are you here?"

"I'm recovering, idiot, just like you. I have the most  _ridiculous_ fucking headache." He rubbed at his eyes emphatically. His glasses were gone. "I saw you wake up, so I figured I'd try to speak with you for a few minutes before we inevitably end up fighting and making KK mad."

"Talk?" he echoed with a frown. "About the Empire, or what?" He wasn't a fool, he knew Sollux still didn't trust him. He never had, even in the game. Now, he thought he'd be lucky if he could ever get Sollux to trust him again.

"About KK."

_Oh, great._ "Are you goin' to give me another bullshit warning about stayin' away from him or whatever? 'Cause I hate to burst your bubble and all that, Sol, but I'm pretty sure we're past that point."

For a moment he thought he saw Sollux's eyes flash with sparking power, but it was gone so quickly he couldn't be sure. Then, "Yeah, you're telling me. He's practically smothering you right now."

Eridan glanced down and was immediately accosted by a wave of blinding pity. Karkat was just  _clinging_ to him, cheek mushed into his chest, horns nudging up under his chin, breath rolling just barely across his seadweller-cool flesh…

Sollux sighed. "You really pity him, don't you." It wasn't a question.

"I really, really do." Long, cool fingers threaded themselves through Karkat's hair, their owner sporting a loving grin. "I'll say it for as long as it takes for you to realize I'm tellin' the truth."

To his surprise, Sollux didn't immediately snarl at him. Instead he just stared, leaning his chin on his hand and his elbow on his knee, a completely neutral expression on his face. "It's not my job to obsess over KK's quadrants," he said finally.

"No? Well you could a' fooled me."

"Right…" He shuffled a little, uncomfortably. "Look, ED. I think…maybe KK was right. It's not my business what he chooses to do with his pity. I may not like the fact that he's decided to take you back, and I may have suspected at one point that your intentions were less than pure, but it's not really under my control."

"Wait," Eridan whispered. "You're…what, givin' me your approval or something'?"

"Not exactly. I'm more saying that KK's romantic endeavors are his own to deal with, but that doesn't mean I'm thrilled about it. I'll give the two of you space, but don't expect me to hold back if you do  _anything_  to hurt the rebellion. One flicker of disloyalty and you'll be dead before you hit the ground."

_Woah._

Sollux cleared his throat. "To be clear…I don't think you're going to betray us anymore. I think that if you were planning on going against us, you would already have made your move. It doesn't make sense that you would have let so many military troops be killed, or that you would have let us get this far. I'm not saying I fully trust you, but…I guess I'm willing to let you off the metaphorical leash."

He was shot through with a mixture of gratitude and irritation. "Thanks, I think."

The psionic gave a noncommittal shrug. "We're quadrant corners. Guess we should learn to get along, or we'll both lose KK for good. He's already accused me of wanting to flip black on you."

A long time ago, that would have made Eridan the happiest troll in the world. But now… "Maybe we need an auspice."

"You mean maybe  _I_ need an auspice," was the answering mutter. "You don't feel black for me at all, not anymore."

He shook his head slowly. "No, but that's now. While we're still fighting this rebellion, and there are more important things to worry about than ruinin' Kar's kismesissitude. Assumin' we're goin' to live through this and stay together, we might reach a point where we need that. An auspice, I mean. Maybe we should keep an eye out for someone to help us if things get bad. If we flip black…"

"He'll kick both of us out on our asses," Sollux agreed ruefully. "But where the fuck are we supposed to find someone to fill such a brain-drain of a quadrant?"

"I guess…we'll just have to keep an eye out. As long as we're careful, it shouldn't be too much of an issue."

"Let's hope so," the psionic grumbled. He reached forward, entire body wrought with tension and uncertainty, and held out a hand. His index finger and thumb were pressed together at the tips to form a circle.

For a long moment, Eridan just stared in shock. But he knew this was necessary. Karkat had told him that his relationship with Sollux had become strained, and this was something that could fix it. So he responded, reaching a hand out and mimicking the gesture, pressing Sollux's fingers to his in two thirds of an ashen clover. Missing a third petal, but not for long.

"Finally," came a sleepy mumble against Eridan's chest. "I was wondering when you idiots would get your shit together and flip ashen."

"How much of that did you hear?" Sollux but out in an alarmed snap.

"Just about all of it." Karkat yawned and snuggled closer to Eridan. "Now that that's over with, will you  _shut up_ and let me rest? I'm fucking wiped."

Eridan and Sollux exchanged quick glances. Then the psionic shrugged, muttered, "Whatever," and rolled over so that his back was to his kismesis and his newfound quadrantmate.

"Kar?" Eridan whispered. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

The mutantblood batted at his chest sleepily. "Who you shove into your quadrants doesn't matter to me,  _especially_ if it keeps Sollux from sticking his grubby little fingers where they don't belong. So shut the fuck up, like I said, and let me fucking sleep!"

Well, there was no arguing with that. Eridan pulled Karkat close, shoved his nose down into his hair, and let sleep take him.

 

* * *

 

Things were slow to get up and running. It wasn't much of a surprise after such a vicious fight. For the next several days the rebels just hid out in various places—the military base, Feferi's castle, the city itself—and recovered from what they'd been put through. They all knew that time was of the essence, of course—Vriska had promised them a week and a half at best, and every day just ate up their time before the flagship was primed to arrive on Alternia and destroy them. They  _needed_ as much time as they could get. But they needed to recover, too, or they wouldn't stand a chance. Once they got somewhat back on their feet, they would be able to contact the other cities, put out a broadcast to the world, and conquer the other military bases. That would put all of Alternia under their command.

But that would take  _time._ Time was always the problem. If they didn't have the planet under their control soon, they wouldn't stand a chance when the Condesce came knocking. They needed  _something._ An advantage.

And luckily, that advantage came two days after the battle in the form of two familiar faces showing up at Feferi's castle, fangs bared in matching grins.

Sollux was standing in the mess hall when it happened, with Karkat, Eridan, Gamzee, Tavros, Aradia, and Tavros gathered around him. There were quite a few rebels around, mostly the ones that hadn't been injured too heavily in the attack, wandering in and out of the hall or around the castle in general. Everyone seemed a bit on edge.

So when a bit of a ruckus broke out in the next room over, Sollux didn't think anything of it for a moment. He just brushed it off and kept talking to his friends about the next leg of their plan, about who would be leading which team to go help which city. Things were still a bit iffy, seeing as most everyone was injured in some way, but he was getting there. Or at least he  _was,_ until the commotion drifted closer and suddenly he realized that things were a little more serious than he'd realized.

"Let me  _go,_ you insufferable little gremlin! I'm here on official fucking business, so just back the fuck off and—!"

"Like hell you're on official business! How did you even get in here, anyway? This base is top secret!"

"Fuck off, it's a giant castle! How did you think this was going to remain a secret? Besides, you idiots own the city! If we were here to wreck the rebellion, someone else would have caught us by now!"

"That's  _right,"_ a second voice chimed in with a sort of amused cackle. "We came aaaaaaaall the way here to help the rebellion, and what do we find? A bunch of dummies ready to just throw us out because of what we're wearing!"

"Well you're highbloods wearing military uniforms, what are we supposed to think?"

"I'm a midblood!" came the indignant response. "Are you  _blind?"_

An awkward pause. Then, "Um…"

"Ohhh, I see—scared to offend the blind girl, are you? I'll have you know that I graduated at the top of my class from the Alternian academy of legislaceration and my eyesight or lack thereof didn't have a thing to do with it!"

Sollux realized what was going on at about the same moment as everyone else. In a heartbeat the lot of them were whipping around, stunned, because they  _knew_ those voices.

"Just—just come with us!" one of the rebels snapped, though she sounded a little perturbed. "Sollux will know what to do, so—"

"Yes, perfect! Bring us to that annoying little dweeb and I'll bash his brains in for making us go through this!"

More fighting. Then, just like that, one of the rebel troops was chucked through the doors of the mess hall to sprawl messily across the ground at Sollux's feet. Another followed momentarily.

A heartbeat later, a familiar blueblood was standing in the doorway with a downright murderous look on her face. There was blue dripping down the side of her face in a narrow dribble, stemming from a cut below her eye, and she looked furious about it. "Nasty little wretch!" she hissed. "Poisonous bitch!"

"Ohh, that's rich coming from you!" A second troll, then, light reflecting sharply off of her red shades.

"Holy fuck," Karkat whispered. Eridan made a tiny sound of defeat.

Sollux hadn't seen Vriska and Terezi since way before they'd molted, and quite frankly there was a lot to take in. Vriska's hair was shorter, for one thing, and her horns had gotten a  _ton_ longer, and her glasses had thicker rims, and her skin was darker, and she was just way bigger in general. Highblood big, even. She dwarfed Sollux by a foot, and Karkat by another half. Eridan and Feferi were the only ones that could measure up. Terezi wasn't much shorter, or any less intimidating. Her fucking  _fangs._ Dear lord. Had they always looked that sharp? And her expression was somehow both delighted and vicious at the same time. She'd gotten a new cane, one to match her new size, and it was wicked as fuck. She could probably kill someone just by swatting them a few times.

"Well, would you look at this!" Vriska smirked.

Sollux swallowed hard. "Serket. Pyrope."

_"Captor,"_ was the teasing response.

For a moment there was nothing but tense silence as the two parties stared, neither one quite sure what to make of the situation. But then Vriska grinned, Terezi cackled, and the tension was broken.

"Vriska, Terezi!" Feferi chirped. "I haven't seen you guys in ages!" She stepped forward and pulled the two into a one-armed hug. "I can't believe you made it! Sollux said he'd called you for help, but I didn't think you'd get here this fast!"

Vriska shrugged. "Took a few days extra, unfortunately. We ran into some issues with the battery on our ship."

Sollux forced himself to ignore the jab. "You're here now," he said, "and that's all that matters. You hampered the flagship, right?"

"Yep!" Vriska pushed her glasses further up on the bridge of her nose, flashing her fangs. "They'll be down for a week at  _least_. We've probably got more time than that, even. I see you've managed to take the city, which means you're not total disasters, but I guess we'll see if you can hold your own during the next step."

"Right down to business," Karkat huffed, "as always."

Unfortunately that just earned him attention that he probably hadn't been hoping for. Terezi's eyes lit up behind her glasses, and she prowled forward with a toothy grin. "Karkles? Is that the enticing scent of candy red I smell?" She approached, tongue out, claws reaching.

"Woah, there!" Eridan yelped. He stepped in front of Karkat before Terezi reached him. "If that tongue a' yours goes anywhere near my matesprit, I'll cut you right the fuck down!"

_"Matesprit!"_ Vriska cackled, just as Terezi paused to look confused. "Finally grew a pair, did you, fishface? Good for you!"

Terezi just looked disappointed. "Aww, you mean you won't let me taste him even a little? Eridan, you mean person you!"

"Paws off!" Eridan snapped. "No, Ter—no, fuck, get off!"

Terezi just shrieked with laughter and swatted him over the head with her cane again and again.  _Just like old times._

"Looks like the gang's back together," Aradia said quietly. "With the exception of Kanaya, Nepeta, and Equius, of course, though Kanaya assured us that she would be with us soon enough."

"Ten out of twelve ain't bad," Vriska pointed out. "Could have done a whole lot worse. All the important ones are here, anyway. I.E.,  _me."_

"We might, um, still get Nepeta and Equius on our side," Tavros stuttered. He looked a hell of a lot more nervous with Vriska standing only a few feet away, though Gamzee had moved to stand in between them the instant he'd recognized the tension. "They should be in the city somewhere, and if all the Empire's supporters have been driven out…"

"They could have just run to the next city," Aradia pointed out. "We'll be lucky to find them in all the mess, unless they come to us."

Sollux snorted, "And we know that's not going to happen. Equius is too much of a loyalist to just throw everything away and run to us with Nepeta in tow. He'll be too busy sucking the Empire's bulge, mark my words."

"Marked," Aradia said, tone rather disgusted. "In any case, we cannot focus on their lack of being here. Now that we're all here, and we know the Condesce's ship has been hindered, we can focus on what comes next. Namely, taking over the other two cities. That's what we were talking about before your rather, ah… _interesting_ method of entry."

Vriska shrugged. "Not my fault you're runnin' a rebellion full of tightasses like nubs over there. They shouldn't have tried to attack us."

Sollux glanced over to where the rebels had hit the ground. They were gone now, having gotten up and figured out that the two newcomers weren't a threat, but there were streaks of blood across the tile. He winced. "We're not looking too good right now," he admitted. "A lot of us got hurt in that fight, and we don't have long to get ready for when the Condesce attacks."

"That's because you're all wimps," Vriska snorted. "Give me a crack at 'em and they'll be whipped into shape in no time."

"Like hell you're taking over the rebellion!" Karkat barked. "You'll run us to ruin, no doubt about it, so back the fuck off! We can use your help, but only if you're going to stop being an idiot and think before you stab!"

Vriska just rolled her eyes. "Try removing that stick up your ass, then we'll talk."

"Oh, god," Sollux groaned. He dropped his head into his hands. "This is going to be a thing, isn't it. You two are going to be at each other's throats constantly. You're  _all_ going to make things as difficult as possible."

Karkat gave him a pouting look. "Do we really have to work with  _her?"_

"Do you want to win?" Vriska quipped. "I have the know-how, nubs, so suck it up and deal with me being around!"

Karkat groaned and thunked his forehead into Eridan's shoulder.

"Now," Vriska went on, acting like Karkat wasn't even there, "what was it you were saying? You need to take the other two cities but you're too beat up to handle it?"

Sollux felt a growl starting to build up low in his chest. "We need a few days before we're ready to—"

"Bullshit! You don't  _have_ a few days, not with the strict schedule you're keeping! There's only one thing for it—Terezi and I will have to take care of it for you!"

" _What?"_

"Well, we're uninjured," Vriska pointed out. "Uninjured, skilled in combat, natural leaders…what more can you ask for? We can take the rebels that aren't too injured and march on the other cities. That is, if they haven't already agreed to join you! It seems to me that a disproportionate number of your current rebels came from the military."

"We haven't contacted the other cities yet," Eridan threw in. "We were plannin' on sendin' a message once we gave things a few days to calm down. We were goin' to send it over the television that way everyone could see it."

"Do you have a speech prepared or something?"

"Less of a speech, more of a call to action. We're goin' to speak to the members of the military in the other cities and try to convince them to join us. We've proven we stand a chance, so maybe they'll actually be wilin' to help. We'll get a few of 'em to turn at least, that's for sure."

Karkat gave a terse nod. "If we're lucky, we can get  _most_  of them to turn. If they're anything like the troops here, they're only fighting against us because they're afraid of punishment from the Empire. If we take away that fear, they may very well choose to join us instead of killing us."

"Well you'd better send that message, then!" Terezi broke in with a fanged grin. "Time is ticking away, you know! And I didn't leave my lovely position as top legislacerator just to get myself killed in an impossible battle."

"None of us are here to get killed, obviously," Sollux bit out. "We're going to send that message, but we can't attack until we have a few days to recover."

"You won't  _have_ to attack if the military chooses to surrender to you. Message them now, and if they decide to fight you can worry about it later. But you yourself said you didn't think they'd put up any kind of resistance, so snap to it!"

Sollux stared in a mixture of irritation and disbelief.  _Vriska…_

Karkat bared his teeth. "Fucking fine! We'll send the message, battered though we may be, but it's not as simple as you seem to think! We have to go back to the military base to use their transmission equipment, set everything up, make sure we're broadcasting, decide exactly what we want to say—and if the military bases choose to fight us, we'll have to contact the rebels in the other cities next and plan out our strategy for taking Alternia! And on top of that, we still have to deal with things here. There are still Empire supporters in the city, scattered and trying to fight back. We still have to make sure that nothing happens to disrupt our newfound control of the city. The whole fucking point was to prove that we were strong enough to stand up to the Empire, and if we lose it so soon…"

"It, um, probably won't look very, good."

"No, it won't. So we have  _all_ this shit on our plate, but you know what? Fine. Let's do it. Let's just talk to the commanders of the other two branches of the military and suffer the consequences. Let's get it over with."

Vriska smirked. "That's the spirit."

 

* * *

 

"I can't believe we're doing this," Karkat snapped, fidgeting in his newly washed and repaired cloak. "This is so stupid. We're actually going to try and negotiate with the fucking  _commanders_ of the other two military bases. The highbloods. The ones that have pretty much sworn their lives to the Empire. We're going to try and negotiate with them, let the whole world watch while we make asses of ourselves. And this fucking  _outfit._ God. What were you thinking, giving me this in the first place?"

"I just wanted to help!" Eridan whined. "I thought it would protect you, and I wanted to give you somethin' to make you a little harder to get at. I never considered that Sollux would make you wear the thing again!"

Sollux snorted, "Yes, I'm such a villain. Wanting to use a harmless piece of cloth to help build an image. You may not like it, KK, but trolls all over the world will shit themselves when they see you dressed like that. You're practically dressed as troll Jesus."

"What the fuck does that even mean?"

Sollux opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by a sharp, "Boys, stop bickering and get it together!" from Vriska.

"I can't believe  _she_ has to be here," Karkat muttered.

"Nubs, your only chance is having me here! The more high-ranking officials you have on your side, the better."

Karkat just shook his head with a frustrated groan. "They're going to laugh their asses off when we try to talk to them. We'll look like idiots."

"Wow, KK, way to stay positive." Sollux fiddled with the control panel for a while, twisted a few dials, then looked up. "We're just about ready, if you're ready to stop bitching."

Karkat took one last moment to burry his head in his hands and breathe.  _Calm down. You can do this. You just have to calm yourself down a little, okay? I know it feels overwhelming now, but we'll be fine._

As if in solidarity, Eridan looped an arm around his shoulders and brushed a kiss to his hairline. "Deep breaths," he whispered. "There's no reason to freak out; it's just a conversation."

"Yeah," he muttered, "a conversation that could end in us having to fight two more battles in like a week. Battles, I remind you, that very well could leave us unable to raise so much as a claw to the Condesce. We got fucking  _lucky_ , Eridan, that's all this victory was. All the drones just shut off randomly, that's the only reason we won, and we  _still_ don't know why it happened."

Eridan gave a tiny shudder against him, and Karkat knew that he was more afraid than he was letting on. "Don't worry about that now," was his rasping response. "Just focus on this conversation, on talking to the commanders of the other two bases, and we can worry about fighting only if it actually comes to that."

Karkat sucked in one long, deep breath. Let it out in a whoosh. "Okay. Okay, I'll…I don't know, hold my breath or something. Let's just do this before I implode."

The corners of the seadweller's lips quirked up. "Sol, you ready to broadcast?"

"As soon as you idiots are in position, yeah."

Eridan held out a hand to Karkat without a word, pulling him in front of the camera with Sollux. The two of them were in the front with Vriska (she'd insisted in a rather violent way that she be there with them, though Karkat had nearly punched her right in the nose when she'd made her little threats), and everyone else was grouped behind them in varying positions. Eridan and Gamzee pressed close to Karkat, Aradia rested a hand on Sollux's shoulder, Tavros shuffled nervously behind Gamzee, Terezi leaned on Vriska from behind, and the few other rebels that had been invited stood in the back. Most of the mission commanders were there in some form.

"Okay," Sollux said, somewhat breathily. He was nervous too, then. He knew that a lot rode on this. "No pressure or anything, but we're broadcasting both sides of this conversation to the world in three…two…one…"

Karkat saw the instant the transmission went out. The instant the commanders picked up— _if_ they picked up—the negotiations would begin. He had a feeling they  _would_  pick up, though. They'd seen what the rebels had done to the main military base. They'd be fools to ignore communication from them.

Sure enough, it only took about three minutes for the two commanders to pick up and the broadcast to the whole world to begin.

"What is this?" snapped the first troll, a tealblood with sharp features and cropped hair. He narrowed his eyes at the video broadcast. "You're broadcasting this?"

Sollux was the one to respond. "The world will hear our negotiations here tonight, so that they may understand the gravity of our cause. Is that acceptable?"

The tealblood narrowed his eyes. "Fine. You're currently speaking with the highest-ranking official in the eastern city. Call me Lihrak."

"Lihrak," Sollux repeated. He looked to the other screen, where a dopey indigoblood was smiling dazedly. "That makes you the ruler of the western city, yes?"

She nodded. "That's me, man. Grand ruler and all that bullshit. Raland's the name."

_Indigos,_ Karkat thought, exasperated. They were all complete wrecks.

"Right," Sollux said. "Commanders Lihrak and Raland. I suppose you already know who we are, yes?"

"How could we not?" Lihrak said with an unreadable expression. "You are Sollux Captor, founder of the rebellion. That there is Karkat Vantas, effective reincarnation of the elder Vantas. The Sufferer. And of course, we have Eridan Ampora—the traitor. Throw in the Grand Highblood's descendant for good measure, splash in a little Peixes charm, a mishmash of various other bloodlines, and there you have it—the rebellion. The rebellion, I might add, that just usurped Alternia's main military compound and took the city, somehow managing to deactivate every drone on Alternia in the process. You killed Commander Mayrin. Or rather, one of his own troops killed him. With a machete."

Sollux blinked. "You…know a lot."

"Word travels fast. Everyone knows what happened."

"You're quite the celebrities right now," drawled the indigoblood. "My best palefriend won't shut up about it."

"Something like that," Lihrak agreed. "So, why exactly are you talking to us?"

"Just some simple negotiations," Sollux said, though he was bristling with tension with every word that fell from his ridiculously chapped lips. "To put it quite frankly, we want you to join us."

There was a long period of silence, then, as the two commanders eyed Sollux with varying degrees of surprise. Then, "What do you mean by that?"

"We mean just what we said," the psionic reiterated. "The way we see it, it's our only option. We can't have parts of Alternia still controlled by the Empire when the flagship finally gets here to take us on, and we  _especially_ can't have two of the three cities fighting against us. We could take them by force, as we did with the one in this city, but we don't like killing innocent trolls. Ideally, we'd like to work together to take down the Empire without having to fight you."

Lihrak shrieked with laughter. "Let me get this straight—you want the two of us, esteemed commanders of the Empire, to go against our supreme ruler and join up with a bunch of ragtag rebels. A bunch of  _lowbloods."_

"That's exactly what we want, yes."

" _Really_. And you don't see anything wrong with that. You think we'll just give up our positions of power and join you."

_Okay, time to step in._ "You don't have much of a choice!" Karkat snapped. "Don't get me wrong, you're more than welcome to go against us. But if you do, I question how many of your troops will follow you."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well if I'm guessing correctly, most of them are sick and fucking tired of being pushed around by highblood assholes like you. They'd rather join us than fight. We saw the same thing in this city, in the military base we captured. We saw soldiers fighting against their will, terrified that the Empire would punish them if they dared to stand up for themselves. Hundreds of them died because of their own fear, the fear inflicted upon them by their  _commanders._  The instant we removed those commanders, though, they were free to do as they wished. Free to save their own lives, whether that meant joining us or going their own way. So unless you want them to remove you, too, I'd advise that you actually talk to them and figure out what they really want."

The tealblood gave a toothy grin. "Eloquent, aren't you? But you're looking awfully battered, little one—what makes you think you have enough strength to actually repeat what you did on another city? From what I've heard, you lost a lot of rebels in that fight."

"Yes, because of the drones. Now they're down, and so we won't have any problems storming the other two cities and taking them down."

"Touché, I suppose—though, what makes you so sure that so many of our soldiers will support you instead of the Empire they were born to serve?"

"They were born to serve  _themselves,_ damn it! No one is ever  _born_ to serve anyone else; that's one of the fucking massive problems with the Empire! For the longest time lowbloods have been downright fucking  _terrified_ to step even an inch out of line for fear of being scooped up and forced into the nasty business of troll trafficking run by the highbloods aboard the flagship. Until now we've all just joined the military despite the fact that we don't believe in what we're fighting for, knowing that we were being relegated to a lifetime of fear and pointlessness. That changes  _now._ We've proven we're strong enough to stand up to the Empire, and strong enough to protect anyone that decides they'd rather not fight for a seadweller bitch that takes and takes and never gives a scrap of  _anything_ back. We took the main Alternian city, and we can take the others. All that remains is whether or not we'll  _have_ to."

"Indeed,"Lihrak purred. "So what, you want me to just turn myself and my troops over to you? What about those of us that don't want to join you? I'm sure there are a few. And what of the highbloods and midbloods that still feel loyalty to the Empire? All those poor children out there, not yet ready to ascend?"

"They're just as terrified as the adult lowbloods," Karkat growled. "They see how easily they could be culled, how cruel the Empire really is, and most of them despise the Condesce for it. We don't discriminate based on blood color, in case you hadn't noticed—so it's not like we're going to kick anyone in the ass because they're cooler than light teal. If that were the case, we wouldn't have seadwellers with us. As for those who still want to support the Empire…well, they're free to do as they please. We can't force anyone to join us, and we're not going to hurt them unless they actively try to stop us. They're free to live their lives, and we'll live ours."

Karkat heard Eridan suck in a breath, right next to his ear. "Damn," he whispered, adoration saturating the word, but Karkat knew he had to keep himself from getting distracted.

Lihrak cocked his head to one side. "You make a tempting offer, Vantas, but would the rest of the rebels agree? How do I know they won't just slaughter all the Empire sympathizers without letting you know they're doing it?"

"The rebels respect their leadership. They wouldn't do something like that."

"We'll see, little one," he murmured. "We'll see."

Karkat turned his gaze on the indigoblood. "What about you? You haven't weighed in on any of this."

Raland blinked. Shrugged, a sleepy grin spreading across her face. "Nah, friend, I don't have anythin' to say."

"So…you disagree? Or…?"

"Hmm? Disagree with what?"

_Fucking indigobloods._ "Disagree with me, idiot! Do you want to work together, or do you want to fight?"

"Oh! Man, we're workin' together, no gettin' around that."

Silence, for a moment. Then,  _"What?"_

"We're workin' together," the indigoblood repeated with a dopey smile. "The base is yours, friend. I ain't got a thing to fight against."

"Y-you're…going to help us?" Karkat asked, stunned. He…hadn't expected it to be that easy.

Raland nodded cheerily. "Yep! Ain't like the Empire gives us indigos much of a chance at life, y'know? Not a whole lot to love there. But my best palefriend…she's a goddamn miracle. And she likes you guys, bein' low on the spectrum and all, so I figure I'll go along with you all nice-like. Already had the conversation with my troops an' everythin'. Everyone that disagreed already left the base and went off to do what they will. City's all on board with you, too; we chased out anyone who didn't want to help a few days ago."

Behind him, Karkat heard the telltale rumble of his moirail's laugh. "Motherfucking miracles!" he chuckled. "Ain't every day something like this happens."

Raland smiled. "You got that right, friend. We're happy to be of service."

"Holy shit," Sollux breathed, too quietly for the mic to pick up. "We just captured another city."

"Are we safe to send troops to your city, then, to prepare for the fight against the Condesce?" Karkat asked suspiciously. It felt so easy…

"Sure are," was the response. "You have my word that no friends a' the rebellion will be attacked in my city, not unless they want their limbs forcibly removed. And if its troops you need, to fight the Condesce or to take down any  _unruly_ chapters a' the military, we're here to help."

It was a not-so-subtle jab, and Lihrak knew it. His features twisted a little, uncomfortably. "So that's how it is, huh? Outnumbered two to one and facing down my own troops, all of whom are pretty much itching to tear my throat out if I don't surrender to you."

Well,  _that_ was interesting. "Your own troops are giving you a hard time?"

He waved a hand. "Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, I suppose, as long as that opinion doesn't end in me being decapitated. So! I suppose we're at a bit of an impasse."

"Not much of an impasse, if your troops are prepared to kill you if you refuse to stand down and let them make their own decisions."

Lihrak gave a defeated little shrug. "Well. It seems as if most of the world wants to fight the Condesce, so who am I to stop the march of progress? I'll be killed if I go against you, so I might as well just step aside."

"Oh, like hell we can trust you after that!" Karkat snapped. "You're definitely just going to stab us in the back the instant we let our guard down."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Vriska piped up, lips drawn back over her needlelike teeth. "You're planning on sending rebels from the main city to each of the other two, right?"

"Right," Sollux said slowly.

"Then send me to dear Lihrak, and we'll see if I can't whip that section of the city into shape."

That was one way to solve things. Set Vriska on them and see who managed to escape with their lives.

"That's not a bad idea," Sollux muttered. "Fine, then—if both of you are really on board, we can work on getting troops sent out to you. This is truly a monumental night for Alternia."

"To  _reiterate,_ though," Karkat said, "anyone out there that doesn't want to join us doesn't have to. You're free to leave the city or stay there, whatever you want, so long as you don't raise a hand against the rebels. You have my guarantee that they will not raise a hand against you, so you should have no reason for violence. We will endeavor to make sure that no innocents are harmed. We're  _not_ the Empire. We're not just going to plow through trolls that don't agree with us. If you don't want to fight, then  _don't._ We're going to offer  _everyone_ protection either way."

"That's right," Sollux broke in. "From this point on, were going to give a set of very simple orders—if you're on our side, report to the nearest military base. You'll be safe there, and it will be easier to reach those that wish to fight with us when the Condesce arrives. If you're against us, we won't bother you unless you raise a hand to stop us. Stay in the city or leave, it's your choice."

"Very dramatic," Lihrak hummed. "I suppose now the whole world knows that the rebellion owns Alternia. The only question now is what you'll do with it."

Sollux narrowed his eyes. Ignored the tealblood, continuing, "The flagship was crippled by one of our own, so it will be some time before the Empress is able to return here. We'll be sending out multiple broadcasts in that time to update everyone and tell them when they should expect to fight. In the next few days, expect us to deliver some kind of plan. Until then we'll be sending troops to each of the other two cities. Is that acceptable?"

"That's one word for it," the tealblood muttered.

Vriska snorted. "Oh, just you  _wait_ until I get there and kick your ass."

"VK!" Sollux hissed, jabbing her in the side with an elbow. Then, to the commander, "I suppose that concludes this little meeting. Expect the arrival of troops, both from our city and your own, and more communication to follow."

Lihrak gave a mocking salute. "As you command,  _sir_."

Raland offered them a relaxed smile. "No worries here, friend."

"Very well. Ending transmission now. And…to the rest of Alternia, know that this doesn't have to mean fear for those who don't wish to be caught up in the fighting. All it means is a new era, being ushered in by the trolls that are finally fed up with being stepped on and beat down."

The video feed cut off just in time to see Lihrak leering at them, at the sound of those final words. Then it was over, the broadcast was ended, and the lot of them stood there in shock.

"Holy fuck," Karkat said finally. "That actually just happened."

"You were brilliant," Eridan purred, bumping his nose to the back of Karkat's neck. "You an' Sol both."

He leaned back into the touch gratefully. His head was spinning, thoughts spiraling out of control as he realized that  _they wouldn't have to fight._ The other two military bases, and the cities by extension, had just surrendered to them without resistance. Hell, one of the commanders had actually seemed  _happy_ to hand things over to them.

"I guess we need a plan," Sollux said finally, breaking the silence. "If we've just gained control of the other two military bases…"

"Alternia is ours," Vriska agreed with a smirk. "Just as it should have been right from the very beginning."

_Just as it should have been,_ Karkat echoed silently. "Shit."

"Shit," Sollux agreed in a whisper. "This is actually happening. We just seized control of Alternia without more than a single fight, bloody though it may have been. And now we actually have to plan for when the Condesce gets here."

Karkat shook his head. "It's…overwhelming. Only a quarter sweep ago you managed to finally gain more than three hundred members, and now we're tens of thousands strong—assuming most of the military in the other two cities decides to actually fight with us, which we pretty much know they will."

"A quarter sweep," Sollux agreed, awed. "And only four sweeps before that, I'd barely had the idea to start this rebellion in the first place."

"Well that's always how it goes, isn't it?" Eridan asked forlornly. "When you first start out, you've got nothin'—and it stays that way for what feels like forever, ichin' along at a snail's pace, until suddenly somethin' happens and you get yourself a surge of fame that brings in a cult of new fanatics. This is the same way."

Karkat felt a dozen eyes boring into him, and he knew that  _he_ was what had brought that surge of fame to the rebellion. The Sufferer's descendant, walking Alternia anew and preaching about a future in which hemotype wasn't so much as mentioned between trolls. A future of equality and new beginnings. Now, if only he could actually live up to his bloodline…

"Well," Sollux said, "I guess I should start drumming up some kind of plan. We'll need to lure the Condesce out somehow."

Eridan snorted. "Oh, no, that won't be necessary. The Condesce has never been in the business of lettin' others fight her battles for her—she'll be on the front lines when the battle starts."

He blinked and said, "That's one problem solved, I guess. Now we just need to decide which troops go to which city."

"Think about it overnight," came the gentle suggestion from Aradia. "It's late, and we're all tired from the stress of today. The rebellion won't fall if we wait a few hours to set out."

Sollux opened his mouth, presumably to disagree, but Eridan cut him off. "You've never been more right about anything in your life, Ara. We're all exhausted, still recoverin', and we'll just end up makin' stupid mistakes if we try to make decisions now." He wrapped an arm around Karkat's waist from behind. "Let's go back to our rooms, get some rest, and meet back here tomorrow to discuss who's goin' where."

"Go back to our rooms indeed," Vriska said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. "Oh, that reminds me—where the hell are Terezi and I staying, anyway?"

"I can show you!" Feferi chirped. "Come on, follow me."

Vriska and Terezi tailed Feferi out of the room. Not a moment later Aradia was reaching out and grabbing onto Sollux's arm, saying, "We should get going too! See you all tomorrow?"

"Huh—wait, AA!" Sollux yelped as he was forcibly dragged towards the door.

"Nope, no waiting! If I don't drag you off, you'll just stay here and work yourself half to death, so you're coming with me!"

"AA—"

She papped him on the cheek. "Shoosh. Come with me." Then Sollux was dragged off, still babbling about wanting to stay back and do a bit more work.

"I should get going too, brother," Gamzee rumbled. "Unless you need a wicked motherfucking session in the pile, that is."

Karkat shook his head. He was overwhelmed, still hurting from the battle that had taken place a few days prior, but it wasn't anything he had to bother his moirail with. Not when he obviously had other quadrants to maintain. "I'm fine, you idiot. Go bother Tavros."

Gamzee knocked him over the shoulder with a pleased grin. "Thanks, bro." He stepped away, then, hooking a finger around the point of Tavros's horn and tugging him toward the door despite any protests.

Then, just like that, it was just the two of them.

Karkat turned his back pointedly to Eridan as he stripped himself of the ridiculous cloak he'd been forced to wear for the broadcast. Of course, that left the scarlet insignia on his chest blatantly uncovered, but it was better than looking like a clone of his ancestor. He slid the thing into his sylladex and sighed, rolling his shoulders to get the tension out. Everything ached, from his toes to his horns.

"So," Eridan purred silkily, and Karkat turned to see that he was leaning hard against the wall. "If the room you share with Gam is goin' to be occupied, does that mean you're plannin' on stayin' with someone else for the night?"

"I was planning on going to  _my_ room," Karkat said curtly, barely managing to cover up the way his stomach flipped at the tone of his matesprit's words. "I do have one, you know, aside from the one I usually stay in with Gamzee. Is there something else I should be doing?"

"Aww, come on," the seadweller cooed. "You promised there would be  _all_ of the kissin' and cuddlin' once we took over the military, and I've experienced approximately  _none_  of it. This is your big chance to set that right, Kar."

"Absolutely not! I recall promising no such thing!"

Arms closed around him suddenly, and he jumped. Eridan had latched onto him from behind. "What did you call me? Your…matesprit? Was that it?"

_Oh god, here we go._

Eridan nuzzled the joinder of neck and shoulder, eliciting a shiver from the troll trapped firmly in his grasp. "C'mon, just for a little while? I've got the comfiest sleepin' platform you'll ever see, and I  _know_ it's callin' your name."

"I've got an identical platform in my own room, thank you very much." But Eridan was kissing him now, pressing his lips just briefly to the side of his neck, his jaw, the shell of his ear, and he could feel himself melting.

Eridan knew it. He laughed, a low, deep rumble in his chest, and pressed the full length of his body to Karkat's. "You deserve to relax a little," he crooned. "Come on, Kar, let me help you unwind."

He reached back and poked the seadweller in the cheek. "What if I said no? What if, right now, I said I wanted to push you off and go to my room alone."

Eridan blinked. "I'd be real fuckin' disappointed, missin' out on someone as downright gorgeous as yourself, but I guess I'd just have to wait."

"And what if I wanted to wait forever? What if I was never ready to be like that with you?"

"Then that would be that. I wouldn't touch you."

Karkat narrowed his eyes, even though he knew Eridan couldn't see it. "That's great and all, but do you actually mean it?"

"Kar, of  _course_ I do." Hands closed on his shoulders, spinning him around, and then suddenly he was looking up into Eridan's seadweller-bright eyes. There was an arm around his waist and a hand on his cheek, a cool thumb drawing tiny circles under his eye. "I don't know if you remember, seein' as I've only said it about a thousand times, but I pity the shit out of you. Hurtin' you in  _any_ way is out of the question. If that means never touchin' you again, so be it. Though I'm not gonna lie, that would make me real fuckin' sad."

"Mm," Karkat hummed. He could  _feel_ the sincerity in Eridan's tone, see it in his eyes, practically taste it on his tongue, and it made him  _burn._  "How about you show me that sleeping platform of yours?"

Eridan's eyes lit up. "Are you bein' serious?"

"Calm down, there," Karkat snapped over his own nervousness. "I'm only agreeing to fucking kiss you, and  _maybe_ do the whole bullshit cuddling thing! I haven't agreed to anything else yet!"

_"Yet,"_ Eridan repeated. He looked downright elated, using his hold on Karkat's waist to draw him back toward the door in a shuffle that was only slightly awkward.

"Slow down, Casanova," Karkat grumbled in mock-irritation, but he let Eridan drag him along without much resistance. He knew exactly where the seadweller was taking him—his room was across from his, after all, and he'd been there before. Still, the journey felt agonizingly long in the face of their current situation. Eridan's fingers were cool around his wrist, where he'd grabbed him the instant they left the room they'd used for the broadcast.

Before he realized how far they'd come, Eridan was kicking open the door to his room and tugging him inside. He left all but one of the lights off.

"So…" Karkat said awkwardly, standing there in complete uncertainty. "How does this work? Do we just—hey! Eridan!"

The seadweller smirked, and he looked fully the predator he was in the dim light. His horns gleamed menacingly, teeth shining white, eyes piercing in their intensity. He pushed him again, and Karkat sprawled back across something soft and low to the ground. Eridan's concupiscent platform, he thought.  _Holy shit_ , he was lying on Eridan's concupiscent platform.

"Kar? Is this okay?"

Eridan must have seen his trepidation. "It's fine," he forced out over the bubbling nervousness in his stomach. The last time he'd been this vulnerable…

He felt the platform dip as Eridan joined him, planting his knees on either side of Karkat's hips and leaning low over him. He took a moment, then, and just  _stared,_ as if waiting for Karkat to get up and run away. But he didn't. He held his ground, despite the fact that there were flashes of Rohdan all over him, and struggled to keep himself grounded.  _Just kiss me,_ he begged silently, reaching minutely for Eridan in hopes that it would help. And thankfully, it seemed like Eridan was on the same wavelength as him.

"I've got you," he whispered, dipping down to press light, almost  _pale_ kisses down his face and onto his neck. "Here, just…" Fingers closed around Karkat's wrist, thin and cool, and the next moment the mutant felt his hands wrap around twin bands of keratin. Frowning, he mapped them out with his fingers.

"Your horns?" he rasped finally, confused. He stroked his thumbs down the center, the part where yellow blended to orange over the lip of the lightning-bolt. Eridan shuddered like he'd been hit by a hurricane.

The seadweller nudged his horns harder into Karkat's touch. "Reassurance. If you get scared, a good squeeze there should make me behave."

Gratitude took him in a massive wave. "Eridan…"

"Plus," the seadweller said with a smile, "if you start flashin' back, all you have to do is remind yourself that I'm quite literally the only troll on this planet with horns this shape. They're like a fingerprint."

_Oh…right!_  Eagerly, he took hold of the keratin.  _They're unique to him. It can't be anyone else touching me because those are_ his  _horns. Not Rohdan's, not that shithead of a commander's…no one else's. It's just Eridan. Just my matesprit._

Eridan smiled at him, all sharp features and pointed fangs and unrestrained adoration, and Karkat melted. "Thank you," he whispered, because he knew that Eridan understood.

The seadweller smiled at him, warm and affectionate, and there was nothing in his eyes but love. "Of course, Kar. I love you."

He flushed. "I-I love you too."

The smile widened. "I know. Now are you just gonna lay there and blush like a schoolgirl, or are you gonna kiss me so we can move this along?"

He made his choice.


	34. Sarah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ancestors cause a stir, and Karkat is left picking up the pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit is going DOWN in the next chapter. I'm so goddamn excited; I've been waiting for the events of the next chapter since like, the very beginning! I actually can't wait.
> 
> This week's chapter is [ Sarah ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ_QUv162-M) by Jake Lowe.

"Kar."

He shifted a little. Buried his face further into the pillows.

"Hey, Kar. Kar. Kar!"

Nope. He wasn't waking up. He was tired—he hadn't slept in sopor, having drifted off well before he'd had the thought of climbing into Eridan's recuperacoon, and he was going to rest a little more before he let the world drag him back.

_Poke, poke, poke._ A single cold fingertip stabbed into his cheek. "Kar, you gotta get up."

"Go away," he slurred into the fabric. A hand flailed out behind him, knocking his matesprit in the gills.

"Ouch!" came the consequent yelp. "Watch the gills!"

"Then let me fucking sleep!"

"But Kar, it's time to go meet Sol an' the others! We were goin' to talk about possible strategies for when the Condesce attacks, you  _know_  that!"

…Okay, yeah, maybe that sounded a little familiar. That was probably important.

Cool fingers threaded through his hair and massaged his scalp lightly around his horns. "Up you go, lovely. We're goin' to be late as it is!"

"But… _."_  He pressed his head back into Eridan's touch with a rusty purr.

"Once we're done, I can cuddle you all you want. So come on, get yourself up! You're scarin' me with all this sweetness. Where're all your hard edges?"

"Shut up," he griped tiredly. He pushed himself up just the same, though, sitting cross-legged on Eridan's concupiscent platform and staring bleary-eyed at the seadweller leaning over him. Eridan was already dressed, though he'd skipped most of the flashy bullshit he normally wore. He wasn't even wearing a cape, just the black t-shirt that normally went underneath and a pair of worn jeans. His glasses were crooked.

"There you are," Eridan purred, amused. "I went over to your room and got a change of clothes for you; they're sitting on the table. Take a minute to get dressed, then we'll head down to the others."

"Fine, fine…" Karkat stretched his arms over his head. He was feeling pleasantly sore from the night before, and when he touched a few fingers to his neck he could feel the tender places where he knew bruises were definitely peeking out. Eridan had done quite a number on him. Then again, judging from the state of Eridan's jaw, he'd managed to do quite a bit of damage himself.

When Karkat finally dragged himself out of bed and stumbled over to the table, he found himself staring at a carbon copy of the shirt Eridan had ripped off of him the night before. A black turtleneck with a scarlet Cancer symbol. "I guess it would probably be inappropriate of me to wear one of your shirts around," he joked blandly, yanking the thing on. It covered all but a few of the bite marks.

Eridan flushed all the way out to his fins. "You'd probably get a few looks."

"Hmm…" He reached down and yanked on the pair of sweats Eridan had provided him, then stepped into his shoes. "Maybe I'll have to flounce around in your symbol later. That is, as long as you're willing to wear something of mine."

"What, the earring isn't enough?" Eridan jibed. "Want me to pierce my gills, too?"

Oh,  _fuck_ , he shouldn't have liked that idea as much as he did. He looked away before his matesprit could get a good look at the flush he could feel seeping across the underside of his skin.

"Oh? You like that idea?" There was the sound of cloth rustling. Then, "How about right here?"

Karkat very pointedly kept himself from looking back at the way Eridan was running a finger along one of his gill slits. Nope! Not happening! "Didn't you just say that Sollux was waiting for us?"

A frown. "I guess I did. We should probably get goin', then…but we're talkin' about this later." There was a mischievous gleam in his eyes. It made Karkat's stomach twist pleasantly.

"Come on," he muttered, grabbing onto Eridan's wrist and tugging him towards the door. "We've got shit to do."

 

* * *

 

"You're late," Sollux growled when Karkat and Eridan finally reached the meeting room. Everyone else was already there, seated in their respective places around the table and ready to discuss their possible moves. They'd only been waiting about ten minutes for the last two members of their party to arrive, but that alone was enough for the psionic to feel the beginnings of irritation—irritation that only grew more intense when he saw the dark blotches running down Karkat's jaw.

_No, no, wait—you said you weren't going to get mad over this. Eridan was Karkat's choice._

One deep breath in, one slow breath out. He was under control. "Nice bruises."

One of Karkat's hands slapped to his jaw self-consciously. "Shut up!"

Sollux just laughed, that high, rasping chuckle he was so well known for, and slapped his kismesis on the back. "Go sit down, KK. There are more important things to worry about than the red side of your love life."

Karkat flushed furiously, opening his mouth to snap back, but Eridan pushed him away before he could get going. Sollux watched with a light smirk as the two of them bundled their way to the other side of the table and slid into their seats, the other trolls snickering at them the whole way.

"Now that we're all here," Sollux began with a pointed look to the redblood, "we can actually get started with the plan. I have a general idea, but there are a few things that are up for debate. I'll start with what we already know and move on from there. So! First up, there's something pretty fucking obvious: that we need to send some of our own troops to each of the other cities to make sure we're all in communication."

"And  _I_ volunteered to knock that nasty little tealblood upside the head," Vriska put in with a sneer. "Which means Rezi's with me."

"Sure am!" came the delighted cackle. "The two of us will make sure there aren't any plots underway that involve slaughtering the rebellion where it stands."

Sollux nodded; he'd already planned for that. "That will be good. I'd like to divide our forces here as evenly as possible, so about three of us should be at each base. One will have four, obviously, seeing as KN is on her way here to make our numbers ten for three bases instead of nine."

"Nepeta and Equius could show up," Karkat pointed out. "Though I doubt that sweaty horse douche of a troll will want to help us, that would put us with even numbers at each base."

"You never know. But as I was saying, there will be three of us at each base, so I'll need to send one more person over there with you. FF, I want you to go."

"Me?" she echoed. "Why me?"

"Because that's the base where you're most likely to find support for the Empire, and you're the spitting image of the Condesce. They're more likely to swear allegiance to you as the future Empress than anyone else."

"Oh! I see!"

He continued, "At the other base, there's not likely to be much trouble. The indigo commander seemed thrilled to help us. So AA, TV, GZ, I want the three of you to head there."

"Woah, woah!" Karkat yelped. "Gamzee can't fight without me there to make sure he doesn't get out of hand!"

"Yeah, brother, that doesn't seem like the most righteous motherfucking idea you've ever had, splitting us up."

"I know it's not the best," he said. He'd spent hours agonizing over it, after all, and the solution he'd come to wasn't his favorite. "But we need to split up evenly, and I need KK and ED here no matter what. Since this is command headquarters, I can use what ED knows about the Empire to tell all of you what to do to evade their attacks and formations. So GZ, I need you to go to the other city. I'm sending TV with you, though, to make sure nothing bad happens."

Tavros eyed the indigoblood nervously. "But, um, I'm his matesprit! Not his moirail!"

"I  _know_ that! There's just no other choice. I'm sorry, TV, but this is necessary. Do you think you can handle it?"

The brownblood shot another nervous glance at Gamzee. But the indigoblood just sighed and nodded, though he looked nervous, and so Tavros turned back to Sollux and said, "I, um…I guess I can try."

"Good."  _And worse comes to worst, I'll tell AA to just aim GZ at the enemy._  "That leaves KK, ED, and me for this base. Does that sound good to everyone?"

For a moment there was silence, and Sollux was almost convinced that this stage of the plan was going to be accepted with open arms. But then Vriska laughed, loud and rancorous, and his heart dropped.

"Sorry," she snickered, "but I think I have a little problem with the roster."

He narrowed his eyes. "And what might that be?"

"Nothing major…just that Mindfang clearly said I was supposed to be fighting with Nitram. So switch Feferi out for Tavros, and it'll all be good."

And again, for a moment there was silence. Then a collective,  _"What?"_

"That's impossible!" Sollux bit out furiously. "Tavros has to be with Gamzee to make sure he doesn't ragesplode all over everything, and Feferi has to be in that city because it's the one with the most loyalty to the Condesce!"

"And I'm sure as hell not going anywhere!" Terezi threw in. "No switching me out for the murder clown, no way!"

"It's a ridiculous request," Karkat agreed in a growl. "And what the fuck do you mean  _Mindfang_ told you? Are you talking about that dumb journal you're so obsessed with?"

"No, it's—"

Eridan snarled. "It's fuckin' bullshit is what it is! Dualscar told  _me_  to wipe all of you out and go back to the Condesce, but I didn't do it just 'cause he was my ancestor! You've always been obsessed with following in Mindfang's foosteps, but don't fuckin' blow the entire rebellion because you're stuck in the past!"

_Oh fuck._ He hadn't wanted to mention the fact that the ancestors were supposedly communicating with everyone, hadn't wanted to bring up old feuds…

"Eribro's right," Gamzee drawled. "I've had the Grand Highblood up in my head for weeks, urgin' me to do the same, but I haven't motherfucking done it. It's not about your ancestors, it's about  _you_."

"Well that's the exact opposite of what my ancestor told me!" Vriska snorted. "It's my duty as her dancestor to follow in her footsteps and do exactly as she did, to achieve greatness! I want Tavros with me, and that's that. We're fated to do this!"

Tavros ducked a bit behind Gamzee, expression one of terrified trepidation. "Um…I really don't think, that I want to do that! The Summoner told me that, um, I should follow my heart! And, um, my heart is telling me to not go anywhere near you."

"Hate to say it," Terezi said, "but my ancestor said the same thing. Do whatever the hell you want. Then again, she really had no bearing in the rebellion, seeing as  _someone_  killed her before that time arrived…"

Vriska bristled. "We've talked about this! I'm not  _actually_  Mindfang!"

"No, but you're awfully excited to do what she tells you. Has she told you to kill me yet? I'm sure it's coming."

"Terezi—!"

_Holy shit._ Sollux watched in stunned horror as the meeting dissolved into bickering, Terezi and Vriska snapping at each other, Tavros trying to crouch behind the massive figure of his matesprit, and even Gamzee getting involved as he pushed Vriska away when she made a pass at Tavros. Even Aradia and Feferi were drawn in, both of them having been told by Sollux about the ancestors appearing to him despite the fact that their own ancestors were silent. The only one uninvolved was Karkat, who looked about a thousand more times stunned than Sollux felt.

"Back the fuck off!" Eridan snapped suddenly, and Sollux jolted as he realized Vriska had gotten to her feet and was looming threateningly over Gamzee and Tavros. There was a dangerous glint in the indigoblood's eyes.

"You'd best be listenin' to him, sister," came the soft, dangerous snarl. "You gave this gorgeous little motherfucker enough trouble during the game without hurting him more now."

"I need him to fulfill my destiny as Mindfang's dancestor!"

"You  _need_  to back the motherfuck off!"

"Yeah? You gonna make me, you greasy fuck? Think you can take me on?"

"Um, I really wouldn't do that if I were—!"

"Fine, spider-sis, let's do this!" Gamzee lurched to his feet with a low, rumbling growl, and a heartbeat later there were clubs in his hands. Vriska leapt back with her cutlass gleaming in one hand and her dice spinning in the other.

Sollux was fully expecting them to fight then and there, to tear each other's throats out without so much of a second thought. But then there was a furious snarl, a flicker of movement, and the next moment the two highbloods were pinned to opposite walls.

"You idiots!" Karkat roared, forearm pressed firm across Gamzee's chest, and Sollux hadn't seen him so furious in a long time. "We're on the same fucking side; how  _dare_ you put your own petty desires at a place of higher importance than the rebellion as a whole? This isn't the time to fight each other!"

"Karkat is right," Terezi affirmed from where she was standing, pressing Vriska face-first to the opposite wall with the sort of firmness only a moirail could emulate. "This isn't the time to be doing this. Regardless of what our ancestors say—"

"And what  _do_ your ancestors say?" Karkat demanded. "All of you seem in on whatever bullshit is going on except me! What fucking ancestors?"

Sollux stared. "You…don't know?"

"Know what?"

More staring. Sollux had honestly expected the Signless to have spoken to him by now, at least in passing. After all, Karkat had shown up to that last battle in his fucking  _cloak,_ spouting off bullshit about becoming a martyr. He'd thought for sure that was the result of the Signless telling him to sacrifice himself to pump the rebellion up. That would have been in line with what the Helmsman had said…but then again, by the sound of it everyone's ancestors were telling them different things. Sollux's wanted him to follow in his footsteps with minor alterations, Vriska's wanted her to do exactly as she had, Tavros's wanted him to go his own way and do whatever felt right…

"Sollux, what don't I know?" His voice was soft, dangerous. His eyes were narrowed to slits.

"You mean the Signless hasn't spoken with you?" Vriska asked with a cock of the head. "Oh, this is  _too_ good. The figurehead of the rebellion has no idea what's really going on!"

Karkat's expression went dark. "Sollux. Tell me  _now_."

Oh, this wasn't good. If Karkat got too worked up, his moirail was in no state to calm him down. "Don't freak out!" he said quickly. "KK, I swear I meant to tell you earlier, it just…"

It had scared him. It had scared him that he would tell Karkat about the ancestors and face the possibility of him submitting himself to be killed as a martyr.

"Just what?" Karkat asked with deadly calm.

Vriska snorted in distain. Snapped, "Idiot, it's not that hard to figure out! The ancestors have taken an active interest in this, the recreation of the battle they fought hundreds of sweeps ago, and they've been reaching out to each of their respective dancestors in attempts to coach them into doing the right thing. Every single of one of us here—save for Aradia and Feferi, if I'm correct, and apparently  _you_ —have been receiving visits from our ancestors."

He expected an explosion. Yelling, screaming, confusion, hatred, fear… _anything._ He expected anything other than the way Karkat stared in defeated shock, then slumped against the wall.

"Kar!" Eridan gasped, darting to his side. "Are you…?"

Karkat stared at the ground in a daze. "I'm fucking fantastic. Nothing like realizing that every single one of your friends has been keeping something this monumental from you." He snapped his gaze up to the seadweller, then his moirail, then Sollux. "You knew? All of you? You'd been receiving visits from your ancestors for…for how long, and you never said anything to me?"

"I thought you knew," Sollux tried to explain. "Or at least, I thought  _maybe_ you knew. You showed up wearing the Signless' cloak, and talking about dying a martyr…I thought he'd appeared to you and told you to sacrifice yourself for the rebellion."

"What? No! If he'd done that I would have decked him in his fucking face! I'm not dying for this rebellion, no way! I'm living to the end, then I'm making this world into the place it was  _supposed_  to be."

Just like that, the knots of tension in Sollux's chest untangled and were washed away. He hadn't fully realized how badly he'd feared that outcome.

"That still doesn't answer my question, though," the mutantblood went on. "Why the fuck hasn't my ancestor said anything to me? If all of you have heard from yours—"

"Mine hasn't said a peep, actually!" Feferi chirped. "Though that's for obvious reasons."

Aradia nodded. "The same can be said of me."

Karkat's eyes narrowed to slits. "I see. Then Sollux felt the need to tell the two of you and not me."

_Shut up, you two, shut up!_

"Care to explain, my  _lovely_  kismesis?"

He gulped. "KK…"

"Just another thing you decided to lie about, is it?"

"I just didn't want you to get any ideas!" he protested. "There was always a chance that the Signless wasn't speaking with you—the Helmsman suggested as much when I spoke to him—and I thought that if I didn't tell you you'd never get the idea to do something stupid like sacrifice yourself. I didn't want you to die!"

"Dying would have been  _my_  choice, not yours. How the fuck am I supposed to help lead the rebellion if I don't have all the information?"

"I'm sorry!"

"Broken record, Sollux."

He cringed. He'd already lied to Karkat so much, had had to apologize for practically everything he'd done in the past four sweeps…what if this was the straw that broke it all down?

"Kar," Eridan broke in, "you can't just blame him for this. I was bein' visited by Dualscar, and I didn't say anythin'."

"You didn't know that it was happening to everyone. You thought it was just you."

"Well…yeah…"

"Sollux knew that this was greater than that. He fucking  _knew_  that everyone was communing with their ancestors, that this was bigger than just one person seeing the figment of the troll that sired them, and he kept it from me. Told his matesprit and his moirail, of course! But not me. Because  _you. Don't. Trust. Me_."

"I trust you, KK!"

"No, you don't! You thought I'd get myself killed just because my ancestor told me to? Fuck that! It's my life, not his, and I don't give a shit what he says! I'm not dying for no reason."

"But…if the Signless said it was the only way to win the rebellion…"

That made Karkat hesitate. Lips slightly parted, eyes wide and offended, he paused.

"See?" Sollux rasped. "If the Signless told you that the only way for the rebellion to succeed was for your death to occur, wouldn't you do it? I would. If it were me, I would die."

"Sollux!" Aradia hissed. He ignored her.

Karkat still wasn't saying anything. He just slumped lower against the wall, dragging Eridan with him, and stared into nothing. Then, finally, "But he didn't tell me that. He hasn't told me anything. Why…hasn't he spoken to me?"

He could read the real question in just the tone of Karkat's voice.  _Am I not good enough? Did the Signless choose to ignore me because he thought I was useless to him?_

Eridan seemed to hear it too. "Kar, I'm sure the Signless has his reasons for not contactin' you. Maybe he trusts you to act on your own."

The redblood's expression grew darker and darker. "All of your ancestors have spoken with you. They've guided you. They're telling you, even now, what you should be doing to win the rebellion."

"Yes. They are."

"Which is  _why,"_ Vriska broke in, "we need to listen to them! Tavros should come with me."

"But my, um, ancestor, said that I should do what my instincts tell me! And they say to not go with you!"

"Yeah," Eridan growled, "and doing what our ancestors tell us to means that Gam and I should go fight for the Empire, and that Fef should be tryin' to kill half the people in this room."

" _Some_  of us should listen, then," Vriska said with a shrug. "Namely, we should all listen to my ancestor. She knows best."

"Like hell she does!"

More bickering.

"Guys!" Sollux cried above the din. "Guys, come on, we're getting further and further off track here! We're supposed to be discussing plans, not killing each other over ancestor bullshit!"

"Then let me have Tavros!" Vriska demanded.

Sollux lowered his head into his hands with a pained groan. "Do you  _want_ to ruin the plan because of your selfish inability to compromise?"

"Pupaaaa, this is the only way we'll  _win!"_

He had no other choice. "Fine. Fucking  _fine._ Tavros, you're with Vriska and Terezi. Feferi, with Aradia. We'll send Kanaya with you once she arrives. Gamzee, you're staying here with your moirail. Is that better?"

Vriska smirked. "Much better."

"Um, not that much better, actually!"

"I'm sorry, TV, but do you think you can just deal with this?"

He looked nervous. "I mean…I don't want to, but…yes? If it's the only way."

"It's the only way," Vriska purred, satisfied at last. "This will be perfect."

Gamzee bit out a low, dangerous snarl. "You'd best be makin' sure that my miracle brother comes back safe and sound, sister, 'cause it'll be your head on a motherfucking pike if he doesn't."

She waved a hand. "No worries, clown boy—I'll make sure nothing beats him down. Other than  _me,_ of course."

Another growl, this one more serious, and Karkat was just sitting there without making any attempt to soothe his moirail. He was still staring distractedly at the wall.

"Hey!" Sollux called. "Let's just calm down, okay? These are the new assignments, like it or not—and GZ, you won't be alone in beating VK's face into the ground if she lets anything happen to TV."

Terezi narrowed her sightless eyes. "You'll have to go through me first!"

"Then we'll do just that," Gamzee drawled.

Oh man, this was  _not_ how this meeting was supposed to go. Flailing, he did everything he could to get control of the situation. "Come on, guys, let's focus! We have the basics of who's going to which city, but now we need to figure out just what to do when the Condesce actually gets here. How will we combat aerial attacks? Ground attacks? The Condesce herself?"

Waiting for the meeting to collect itself didn't prove to do any good. The trolls present were too distracted.

"We'll need ships," Sollux tried. "There are dozens and dozens of ships in the military hangars, which we can use to take down the ships that will no doubt be sent in by the Condesce. We can make an announcement asking for trained pilots to man them once the Condesce arrives. We'll give them each a sector of ground to cover, make sure they have the ability to call each other for help, and that should be enough to keep at least most of the Empire vessels off of our backs. I don't like using psionic batteries, obviously, but we'll need them for this battle. After that, we can release them and do our best to make sure they're okay."

No response. The trolls were still eyeing each other nervously, and Sollux wasn't sure they were listening.

"I'll work out the logistics of the sectors myself, as well as the flight paths of the pilots, so you won't have to worry about it. That just leaves the positioning of our ground troops. ED…I don't suppose you have any suspicions as to what strategy the Condesce will take?"

Eridan blinked. "Huh? Oh…she's not prone to using very sneaky tactics, if that's what you mean. She'll hit all three cities hard and fast."

"Okay, that's good. We can just station an even amount of soldiers at each base, make sure they're equipped to protect the cities' exteriors, and fight her up front when she arrives. Their troops are stronger, but there are hundreds more of us than there are of them. We'll need to see if we can get a few tunnels dug between the cities for easy access. We can place psionics on the back line, hide snipers and telepaths up in the surrounding buildings, and make sure that the weaker fighters are assigned to areas that won't be hit as hard. In effect, this will be like defending ourselves from a siege. The Empress will throw everything she has at us, no tricks, no sneaky bullshit, and we'll have to make sure we can defend ourselves and take down as many of her troops as we can. Maybe we'll actually be able to end this.

"We'll need to be prepared. Everything up until now hasn't required as much risk as we would have imagined, seeing as the Condesce has yet to send troops to us. We don't know why she's held back until this point, let us get as far as we have, but it's safe to say that there's probably something up her sleeve."

Eridan gave a shrug. "I don't know, Sol. She might just be waitin' to see how many of her own people will betray her, that way she can wipe out all the traitors. That may be why she's just let you do as you please—because she wants to kill everyone who's betrayed her in one fell swoop."

"Maybe," he agreed, "but we can't know for sure. We've got about a week until the Condesce manages to repair her ship and start flying for us, two days more for her to actually get here, and then we'll be under attack. We'll need to be extra careful in that time. We  _cannot_ start fighting with each other, or with those that are just trying to get a reaction. We need to keep our heads down and make sure we're prepared, even if right now we're not sure we're strong enough to win."

No one said a thing.

Sollux narrowed his eyes. "Fine, then—clearly none of you are in any state of mind to seriously discuss strategies, so we'll just have to save this for later. But we do need to make a public announcement as to what our plan is, so we'll have to get this figured out  _soon._ Pull yourselves together."

 

* * *

 

_Am I not good enough? Am I useless? Is that why he won't talk to me?_

Karkat paced back and forth in his room, fingers tugging at his hair, teeth clenched tight, entire body wrought with tension. It wasn't as if he hadn't suspected that something was going on—Gamzee had mentioned having dreams of the Grand Highblood, and Sollux had said something about weird dreams at some point or another—but he'd never suspected that it was something like  _this. All_ of his friends were speaking with their ancestors. They were all receiving guidance. All of  _their_ sires believed that they were worthy of their help.

_So why not me?_

He knew he shouldn't be upset. He probably would have just snapped at the Signless if he'd ever appeared before him. But still…why was he the only one not receiving some kind of help? He wouldn't  _want_  the help, but at least it would have been offered to him. At least the Signless would have acknowledged him as deserving of his blood.

He knew that certain dream bubbles allowed deceased trolls to look down upon the living world. The ancestors had to be in one of those, seeing as they were offering help. So…

"Are you watching me?" he rasped aloud. "Right now? Have you been watching this whole time?"

Of course, though, there was no response. He would need to be sleeping to communicate with his ancestor. It was such fucking  _bullshit._ He'd never wanted the approval of his ancestor. He'd never cared. But now…something was just  _eating_ at him, telling him that if all his friends had been visited by their ancestors, then surely something was wrong with him for not having been visited as well. Maybe the Signless thought he was a disgrace.

_Maybe…I_ am _a disgrace to him._

There were so many things he'd done wrong. He hadn't agreed to help Sollux build the rebellion. He'd tried to get his kismesis to just stop fighting altogether. When he'd finally agreed to offer his aid, he'd refused to lead like the Signless would have wanted him to. And now that he was leading, or at least helping to lead, he wasn't doing a very good job. The last battle had torn them up. They had conquered the planet's three major cities, yes, but it had been too late. The Condesce would be moving for them soon, and would there be enough time to stop her? He'd never offered himself up as a martyr, so maybe there wasn't enough passion behind the rebellion to actually win.

_This is stupid! I shouldn't care now when I've never cared before! Who gives a fuck if he doesn't approve of me? This is my life, not his!_

He felt a low keen building deep in his chest, and he clamped down on it before it could slip loose. This wasn't right. He shouldn't be this concerned. He should recognize that it was likely his ancestor disapproved of him, accept that fact, then move on to help the rebellion. They still had a plan to perfect, a broadcast to put out explaining the plan, and then the actual battle to fight. He would need to be ready.  _Everyone_ would need to be ready.

_Stupid,_ he repeated silently. He threw himself down on the cushioned platform in the corner, forgoing the recuperacoon in favor of staring blankly at the ceiling.  _It's stupid. No one gives a shit if the Signless cares about me._

So why did he feel so  _small?_


	35. Reminiscences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A long-repressed order bubbles to the surface, with disastrous consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhh, boy. OH boy. Oh man. Have fun with this chapter.
> 
> This week's chapter is [ Reminiscences ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fjujv1htIGg) by Nigel Hess.

With slightly less than a week before the Condesce arrived, one of the few missing members of their team arrived.

Karkat had known she was coming, but it was still a shock when he looked up one day from his conversation with Eridan in the main hall and found himself staring at a tall, pale troll that he couldn't have mistaken for anyone else. She hadn't changed a bit—same light skin, same piercing eyes, same sharp teeth. Same impeccable fashion sense.

"Kan!" Eridan exclaimed, surprised. "You made it!"

The troll dipped her head politely. "It seems that I did. I apologize that I couldn't arrive for the attack on the military base, but circumstances arose that made it difficult to slip away from my brethren. Luckily once you took the city, that was no longer an issue. They didn't resist when I decided to leave.

"That's great!" Eridan exclaimed. "Kan, it's been so long since I've seen you."

Another polite nod. "It has been quite some time. I believe you left immediately after you molted, did you not?"

"Yeah, I…sorry."

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." She turned her gaze to Karkat pointedly. "Karkat, I'm so glad to see you again."

"You too," he said a little awkwardly. Kanaya had always been pale for him, he  _knew_  that, so interacting with her made him feel a little guilty. He probably would have gone pale for her instead if Gamzee hadn't had a rather nasty breakdown right before the final battle in the game. "We can always use the help. You've already been assigned to a city, actually."

"Oh, really? That was fast."

"Well, you're not leaving until we can get our shit together and figure out a plan without killing each other."

"Problems with bickering?" she asked, raising a brow. "Between who?"

"Vriska and everyone else, just about," Eridan snorted.

Her eyes narrowed to slits. "I  _see._  I'll have to sort that out, then."

Just the tone of her voice made Karkat shiver. She was so  _fierce._ It was no wonder she was a great auspice, though she'd never found the right trolls to slot into her ashen quadrant. "Think you can convince her to see reason?" he asked.

"I'm certain I can make her change her tune. Fill me in on the way to Sollux?"

"Yeah," he said, relaxing a little, "sure. Eridan, let's go."

They went.

 

* * *

 

Hours later, they were all gathered once again for a redo. Karkat arrived first this time, dragging Eridan after him rather exhaustedly and plopping himself down at the same table as before in the same exact seat. Kanaya wasn't far behind, having followed them there after stopping to say hello to everyone else, lowering herself into the seat at Eridan's other side. A few more filed in, slowly, and the tension was palpable. Everyone was on edge from the disastrous way the previous meeting had ended.

Soon enough they were all there, and then Sollux was entering with a dark expression on his face. He took his place at the front to explain the strategy he'd worked out, but he looked like he was walking to his own execution as he did it.

"Looks like we're all back," he said slowly, as if waiting for someone to break in and beat him upside the head for even opening his mouth. "Do you guys think we can act civilly this time?"

There were a few nervous glances, and a few more nods. Karkat kept his eyes on Vriska. She didn't look concerned, or guilty, or  _anything_ , really—she just kind of sat there, boot propped up on the table, hand resting somewhere on Terezi's back. As if she hadn't been the one that had started all the chaos at the last meeting.

"Good," Sollux said carefully. "I know there are a few of you that are displeased with how the assignments turned out for who's going to which city, but this meeting isn't about that. We can debate that further  _after_ we've discussed the plan. And I  _do_ have a plan for the ground troops, after staying up half last night scribbling down ideas."

"Spit it out," Vriska snapped.

Sollux glared. "We're going to pull the same basic maneuvers in all three cities. There's really not much to explain. Like I said last time, I'm going to have the psionics on the back lines to be protected so they're not picked off before they can do some damage, and anyone that can use a long range weapon is going to be stationed in the buildings around the exterior of the city. They can move back if the Empire troops manage to advance further than the front gates, which we're assuming they will in at least one of the three cities. As for the ground troops, our strategy will be simple—lure the Empire troops in to the central location, then flank them the best we can. Of course, we don't know for sure where the Condesce will send them, but we can assume that she'll most likely be going for the front gates. ED has assured me that it's not her style to sneak around."

"No," Eridan said, "it's not. She'll go right for the front gates, mark my words."

"Right," Sollux said. "So then, we can guess that this strategy will be effective. We're going to have the majority of our forces in each city be waiting near the front gates with barricades in place to make it hard for the Empire to actually get into the city. While they have to destroy the barricades, the snipers will be picking off as many troops as they can. Once those barricades are broken and the Empire approaches, we'll simply fight them the old fashioned way. Send in ground troops to meet them head on. Those ground troops will draw the Empire further into the city until a predetermined point. When they hit that point, the remaining forces—which will have been hiding away behind buildings and in tunnels—will emerge and attack from all sides. We'll box them in, then go for the throat. There are far more of us than there are of them, and although it will be hard for lowbloods to fight adult highbloods, sheer numbers should help matters greatly. I'm not saying that victory is more than a fifty percent likelihood, but at the very least it will go up from the zero percent we had before."

It…was a good plan, actually. Not perfect, but the best they were going to get under the circumstances. Surrounding the Empire troops would set them on edge and catch them off guard, which would make them easier to beat. Having them outnumbered would probably make them nervous. Together, that combination of emotions could mean victory.

"I like it," Eridan said. "Being ganged up on would make any highblood nervous, even if their opponents are just lowbloods and highblood children. Should make for an interesting battle."

"That'll be one word for it," Karkat agreed softly.

"Hey, KK, I know it's not perfect—but it's the best we can do."

He knew.

"I'll leave most of the specifics up to whichever of you are sent to the different cities," he said. "You'll be taking command there, so use your best judgment to figure out who should be stationed where and attack at what time."

"Which brings up an excellent point," Feferi piped up. "We really should work out who's going where so that those trolls can depart and begin planning. Yesterday we never really came to a satisfactory agreement."

"It was satisfactory for me," Vriska pointed out. Gamzee glared from across the table.

"Hey, you wreck," Karkat hissed before he could get going. "Eyes one me." He slapped a palm lightly against Gamzee's cheek. "You're  _not_ going to attack her again, even if you hate what she's saying."

Gamzee's expression immediately melted into one of bleary-eyed contentment. "Whatever you say, Karbro."

"Whatever I say," he agreed firmly. Then, "Sollux, let's just get this shitshow on the road."

"We already agreed on who would be going," Vriska reminded them. "There's no need to continue negotiating."

Karkat bared his teeth. "It wasn't a very good agreement, in case you hadn't noticed! It leaves Tavros with you, someone he's not comfortable with, and it also draws Feferi out of the one city that might actually appreciate having a tyrian in command! The division of power was good the first time, and you completely upset it by being a selfish bitch. Then again, I guess that's nothing new."

"Say that to my face, you nubby-horned fucker!"

"I already  _am,_ you spider-fucking freakshow!"

_"Hey!"_

Vriska was on her feet, then, and Karkat was on  _his_  feet, and the two were completely ready to be at each other's throats, but just like the last time they were stopped before things could get too serious. Stopped by Kanaya, who had stepped in between them with a deadly glare and a hand raised in either direction.

"Stop this at once!" she snapped. "I will not allow this meeting to dissolve into chaos because some of you can't keep your heads on straight and focus on what's important! If necessary, I will act as an auspice for this entire meeting and for as many of you who decide to go for each other's throats for no reason!"

Well,  _that_ was effective. All of the hatred in Karkat's chest bubbled out, and he backed down with a sheepish apology. Kanaya was damn good at reconciling arguments.

"Now!" she said sharply. "All of you are going to sit there and act nice will Sollux tells you what is best for the rebellion, not your personal interests, and you are going to listen or I will personally take your heads off! Now Sollux, if you will…tell us what's the most effective way to divide us up. Not based on personal desires, but on necessity."

_God bless Kanaya Maryam._

"It's just like I said last time," Sollux said quickly. "I want to stay here with KK and ED. In the second city, the one with the tealblood as the commander, I want FF, VK, and TZ. In the third, AA, GZ, and TV. KN, you're free to go where you please, though I'd like you to stay here if you can."

"And why are there arguments against this, exactly?"

"Because VK's ancestor apparently told her that she's supposed to fight with TV, and she refuses to compromise."

Kanaya's eyes narrowed to slits. "I see. So we're sacrificing efficiency for the personal beliefs of one troll, are we?"

"Hey!"

"No, no, she's right," Karkat said. "Sollux has more than explained that Feferi should be with you in the city where the military is most likely to respect the rule of a tyrian, and that Gamzee should be with Tavros to prevent a complete psychotic breakdown, but you've just completely thrown all that out the door because of something your fuckhead of an ancestor told you in a dream!"

"Maybe you'd feel differently if  _your_ ancestor gave enough of a shit to actually say something to you instead of hiding like a coward!"

"I—!"

Kanaya growled sharply, interrupting the two before they could get going. "Vriska, Karkat, calm yourselves at once! This isn't about some petty grudge, this is about the wellbeing of the rebellion as a whole! Now the way I see it, the solution is rather simple: as one of the leaders of the rebellion, Sollux has full authority to move his troops wherever he pleases. By being here, you have become one of those troops. So accept your position and  _stay_ there, and remind yourself that you have  _none_  of the authority necessary to command Tavros to do something he doesn't want to."

Vriska's entire body went as tense as a snake coiling in preparation to strike. "Well I could easily decide to withdraw my support, and then where would that leave you?"

_Probably better off,_ Karkat thought, but a soothing hand on the back of his neck kept him from opening his mouth. Gamzee was watching him with concern.

"You yourself said that it was your  _destiny_ to lead the rebellion," Kanaya said shortly. "And if it come down to choosing between abandoning the rebellion altogether and simply compromising in who your partners are during the final battle, it seems obvious to me which route should be taken."

"Yeah? Well maybe it's not so much  _leaving the rebellion,_ and more so just waiting for the current leadership to die out."

"What did you just say?" Karkat rumbled. Across the table, Sollux had gone still and quiet with rage.

"You heard me, nubs! If I'm  _really_ trying to do as my ancestor asks, then maybe I'm supposed to just sit back and wait for you lot to die! I'll snatch Tavros and whoever else I need, hide out until the Condesce wipes you out, and then I'll use the death of the Signless'  _lovely_ dancestor as fuel for the second wave of the rebellion, which will be led by yours truly. Yes, actually, that sounds about right! Once you're gone, I'll have no trouble taking down that fishy bitch."

"Are you really so obsessed with destiny that you'd allow us to die?" Kanaya demanded. "All of us risked our lives for you, for  _each_   _other_ , when we played that horrible game. Quite frankly, I thought we'd grown beyond trying to kill each other out of jealousy and pure stubbornness. But if you're so determined to follow blindly in the steps of someone from the distant past, then fine—do as you will."

Vriska raised a brow. "You say that, Maryam, but I think we both know it's just a bluff. You're hoping that I'll see the error of my ways and start kissing your ass, having realized that you're right and I'm being foolish. But look at it my way: from where I'm standing, it sounds like the only way we can win this rebellion is to do exactly as our ancestors say. So if I just stand aside and let you idiots do whatever you want, go against the wishes of those that came before us, then we'll all end up dead. Here are our options, then. Either you refuse to bend on this one thing and I decide to leave and let you all get killed, or you keep Tavros on my squadron and I go quietly along with you after that. It's your call."

As much as Karkat hated to admit it, he knew that they needed Vriska. She was a fierce fighter, strong enough to snap the minds of at least a few dozen opponents before she tired and had to resort to physical violence. Strong enough to keep the tealblood commander's section of the military under control.

Kanaya bristled like an affronted cat. "Will you think of someone other than yourself for once? Sollux may not be your favorite troll in the world, but he  _knows_ how to win this war, if it is at all possible to do such a thing. Quite frankly, the fact that you're threatening to withdraw your support makes me question the legitimacy of—!"

"Cram it!" Vriska hissed. "You act high and mighty, but we both know you're well below the high horse you're chasing after. You've made just as many bad decisions as me, you just know how to manipulate people into forgetting!"

"That's rich, coming from someone who's  _known_ for being manipulative. Let me remind you that  _I_ wasn't the one that convinced Tavros he could fly, nor was I the one that forced Sollux to slaughter his own moirail simply to fulfill some petty desire for revenge."

"We were young! Everyone does stupid shit like that when they're young!"

"And yet some of us have managed to avoid getting anyone killed or permanently injured."

No one seemed to know what to do. It was like a perfect storm, like watching two immovable objects crash together with disastrous results. Kanaya, ever the calm pacifier, and Vriska, the fire-hearted enthusiast, coming together in a way none of them had ever seen. But this was in their past too, wasn't it? The two of them had flipped between quadrants in the past, from red to black to pale and back to red again, before just as quickly fading to nothing but platonic distaste.

Surprisingly, Tavros was the one to break them apart.

"H-hey!" he stuttered, getting to his feet just as Kanaya's infamous tube of lipstick made an appearance and Vriska began twirling her dice between the fingers of one hand. Then, louder, "Hey! Guys, um, you really need to, calm down!"

Just as surprisingly, the outburst seemed to work. Kanaya paused, Vriska faltered, and two glanced over to him with confusion writ large across their faces.

Tavros let loose an audible sigh of relief. "Okay…um, the way I see it, this is more about, um, compromise? So, um…I think I'd like to go with Vriska!"

"Aw, brother," Gamzee whined, "don't up and say that! I motherfucking need you with me!"

"No, um, you really don't. Maybe it'll be better if you're, with your moirail."

"That's all well and good," Sollux said, "but what about the fact that FF  _needs_ to be in that city to have the greatest chance of keeping them under control? Your distribution of trolls has her running off to the second city with that loopy indigoblood."

" _Deal_  with it, fuckbrain!"

Tavros flinched. "Um…or we could do the whole compromise thing! I go with Vriska, Terezi goes with Kanaya and Aradia. Feferi stays with us."

Vriska's eyes narrowed. "An exchange, huh? One that I specifically denied the  _last_ time we had this conversation?"

"You can't, um, expect someone else to, make a compromise and refuse to compromise in return!"

Vriska paused. Considered.

"I like it," Terezi threw in. "I mean, you didn't actually  _ask_ me what I thought about going to the second city the last time it was suggested. And for the record, I think it's only fair. You take Tavros, Aradia and Kanaya take me…it's a fair exchange!"

"But you're—!"

She shrugged. "Vris, I don't know how to break this to you, but we've been in life-threatening situations without each other before. Let it go!"

Vriska hesitated, then, gaze flickering from Kanaya to Tavros to Terezi and back again, and for a long moment it seemed as if she would refuse and start arguing again. But then she sighed, shook her head, and just like that Karkat realized that one Tavros Nitram had successfully mediated between two of the most stubborn trolls in paradox space.

"Fine," she said. "Rezi, you go with Kanaya and Aradia to the second city. I'll go with Tavros and Feferi to the third city. Karkat, Sollux, Eridan, and Gamzee can stay here. Happy?"

"Only if you're sure," Gamzee said, nudging Tavros with the flats of his horns. "I don't want you to be all kinds of motherfucking uncomfortable, Tavbro."

Tavros offered him a goofy smile. "I'll be okay."

"Yeah, yeah," Vriska muttered, "I'll make sure he doesn't keel over."

_So that's it, then._ Karkat glanced from face to face, and it seemed that no one was dissatisfied. Vriska and Gamzee didn't look like the happiest trolls in the world, and Kanaya looked a little disturbed that she'd been the mediated instead of the mediator, but for the most part everyone just looked resigned.

"I guess that's everything," Sollux said, echoing Karkat's thoughts. "We know who's going to which city, what our plan will be, and how we'll execute it. The specifics will be left up to those of you leading the other two cities, so there's really not much else for us to discuss."

"You're right," Aradia said. "I suppose…we should give a message to the public explaining what we'll be doing."

Terezi frowned. "You're not worried someone will signal the Empire and let them know what's going on?"

Sollux shook his head. Said, "The only way to contact the fleet is to use one of the three authorized stations on Alternia to put out a signal. We control those stations, and everyone in the base is currently at our disposal, so there's not much risk our plans will be leaked. Even if they were, they won't know the specifics—they'll just know we're going to attempt a flanking maneuver, and that we're going to be using ships to keep away aerial forces. I don't think that'll make much of a difference."

"Nope," Eridan confirmed. "They won't give a shit what you're plannin' to do, they'll just charge right on in and hit you like a batterin' ram until you break."

"I suppose we should get to work on an address, then." Sollux looked to Karkat. "How do you want to do this?"

_The less public speaking the better,_ he thought, but that wasn't exactly feasible. The rebels would expect him to spew off some emotional bullshit about beating the Condesce and freeing the lowblood spaces and just saving Alternia in general. "I guess…you handle the tactical garbage, I'll go through the inspirational spiel?"

Sollux smirked. "Sounds good to me. You write your half, I'll write mine, and we can give the address tomorrow. Deal?"

"Deal."

Just like that, the meeting was adjourned.

 

* * *

 

Twenty-four hours later, Karkat waited in anticipation as the final preparations were made for their broadcast. Eridan' wasn't in the room, having left upon Sollux's request to go help Ladcai with the broadcast equipment. Gamzee was there too, which meant that Tavros had tagged along, and the other members of their party were still running around doing whatever the hell they normally did. The broadcast wasn't going to happen for a few more minutes, anyway, so they had time.

"Are you ready?" Sollux asked.

Karkat looked up sharply. He'd almost forgotten that Sollux was there, sitting on the opposite end of the couch. The two of them had been sitting in silence for what felt like hours, each wrapped up in what they were going to say to all of Alternia once the broadcast began. They hadn't budged from that room—the one that hooked onto the balcony that would let them overlook the mess hall, which would be completely packed in just a few hours with as many rebels as could fit. Thousands of them.

"KK?"

"I'm ready," he said quickly, realizing he'd been lost in thought for several seconds. "Sorry, I just…spaced out for a moment."

Sollux gave a weary shrug. "I know what you mean. Things have been moving so fast lately, going so strangely well."

That was true. With the two bases surrendering to them without a fight, with the Empire unable to attack, it almost felt like things were going too smoothly. Dwelling on that wouldn't do them any good, though, and Karkat knew it. "We'll just have to take advantage of our ungodly luck until it runs dry."

"You've got that right." Sollux shifted. Not much, just a tad, but it was enough to set him close enough for Karkat to reach out and touch if he wanted to. "Hey…KK?"

"Hmm?"

Just a little closer. Then, just like that, Sollux leaned his whole weight into Karkat's side. A shockingly tender gesture for such a sharp troll. "Maybe this is the wrong time to ask this, but…do you think we actually stand a chance?"

He stiffened. "This isn't the time to think about that. The best we can do is give this ridiculous address and fight this war to the end."

"Yeah," Sollux sighed, "I guess." He thunked his horns into the smaller troll's collarbone. "Everything is just going to so fast, and I can't believe that the Empire never tried to stop us. They  _knew_ where we were based,  _knew_ we intended to take the planet, and they just let it happen. Why did they do that? The Empress could easily have arrived here while we were in the stages of our infancy and wiped us out."

"Don't think about that," Karkat said again, more sharply this time. He flicked Sollux right between the eyes. "Idiot, I'm not your moirail. If you're going to sit here and gush pale all over me, I'll just cull you now."

Sollux grumbled something against his chest. Then, more clearly, "Don't worry, I don't feel anything but pitch for you."

"And even  _that_ was in question for a while there."

Teeth pressed to his throat. Nipped once, twice, drawing a red flush to the surface. "Shut up," he rumbled. "ED and I are looking for an auspice, I  _told_ you that."

"And yet I stand unimpressed in the face of your progress." The answering bite was hard enough to make Karkat yelp. "Hey!"

"I said  _shut up,_ KK. We both know you aren't mad anymore."

Yeah, he knew that. Sollux had mentioned in passing that he was searching for an auspice a few days back, and all the nervousness had immediately faded from his heart. "Look at me, quivering with desire over how thrilled I am that you've managed to somehow fuck up something so colossally simple as filling a quadrant."

Sollux barked a laugh. "Speaking of which…how are the ol' globes? It's been a while since we've had any  _alone time_."

It had been torturously long, actually. But the two of them hadn't exactly been in the position to worry about concupiscent desires. "Eridan is helping me just fine, thank you, and  _he_ doesn't have the nasty habit of just walking away once he gets off."

"Hmm…" Sollux purred mischievously. "How about this, then: once this is over and we have enough time to relax, I'll tie you up nice and tight and make sure you don't feel neglected. I bet I can do more for you than ED could even  _dream_  of."

He snorted, but a jolt of heat ran through him just the same. "I'll bite off your fingers the second I see you even  _thinking_ about pulling out a length of rope, you insufferable bulgelicker."

"Bulge-licking, huh? Not a bad idea."

"Oh my  _god_ , you—!"

Sollux shoved a hand in his face to cut him off before he could really get going. "Don't get yourself riled up, idiot. We have to give a speech in a few minutes."

"Maybe you should have thought about that before you provoked me!"

Sollux threw him off with a laugh and got to his feet. "Put on your damn cloak and let's get going. It'll be time soon."

His  _cloak._ He  _hated_ his cloak. More now, knowing that his ancestor had forsaken him.

Sollux seemed to sense his distaste. "Come on, dumbass, give it here."

He sneered, but flicked his wrist nonetheless and expelled the cloak in Sollux's direction. He'd continued to wear the black turtleneck with the scarlet symbol for Eridan, because he got this  _look_ in his eyes whenever he ran his fingers over the threads that made Karkat's insignia bleed the same color as his heart. The cloak, though, he could barely tolerate. Especially not now, with all this talk of following in their ancestors' footsteps.

"Here," Sollux said. Fingers only slightly cooler than Karkat's rose, cloak in hand, and shoved the thing over his head with far less gentleness than Eridan had used the last time he'd done it. Sollux was rougher, yanking the cloak down and pausing only briefly to make sure Karkat's horns didn't snag on the thick material. A few tugs here, a rustle there, and soon Sollux was giving the thing a few brushes to soothe out the wrinkles and reaching up to pull the hood over his head. Nails scraped at his hornbeds just briefly as the psionic fiddled with the stitching around the holes for his horns.

Then, just like that, it was over.

"You look good," Sollux said gruffly, cuffing him over the ear. "I know you don't like it, but it's the image we have to project. It'll make more people respect you."

"Right," he grumbled. "I know."

Sollux gave him a look that was almost sympathetic, but not quite. "Hey…"

"It's fine." Karkat drew himself up. Practiced his best authoritative expression. "I hate you, but not for this. This is necessary."

The psionic's expression washed with relief. "Yeah. Yeah, I know."

Footsteps sounded at the door suddenly, and then a familiar troll was pushing his way into the room. "Kar, Sol, we're ready to go!"

Sollux sighed. "Interrupted again."

"Oh shut up, you fuckin' wiggler!"

Sollux shrugged. "I guess we should head up to the balcony, then. Are the others…?"

"Everyone else is waitin' in the crowd," Eridan said. "It's just goin' to be the three of us up there, plus Vris. She's already there."

"Just the four of us?" Karkat asked. "Why?"

Eridan shrugged. "Just worked out like that, I guess. Everyone else didn't want to cram themselves onto that tiny balcony, and Vris insisted."

Karkat snorted. "Typical."

"Hey, if you keep that kind of talk up  _you'll_ have to look for an auspice too."

"As if!"

Eridan flashed him a teasing grin. "Geez, Kar, it was just a joke."

"Well it was a  _bad_  joke!"

Eridan nudged him with an elbow, and immediately all the anger drained out of him _._  "Come on, Kar, let's just focus on giving this dumb speech so we can relax for a little while."

"Won't be much  _relaxing_ going on," Karkat muttered, but still he calmed himself. Eridan had a hand in his hair, was ruffling it affectionately, and it was making his muscles go limp one by one.

Sollux drew his attention with an amused huff. "You two are idiots. Let's just get out there."

Karkat forced himself to draw away from Eridan just as Sollux slipped by him to reach the balcony. He followed close behind, Eridan practically clinging to his hand, and reached the set of double doors in no time.

"Well it's about time!"

Vriska was waiting, as expected, arms crossed over her chest in irritation. She shot Karkat a sharp look as he emerged, then sneered at Eridan as he appeared a moment later. Apparently Sollux had already been snapped at, because he was bristling in the corner of the balcony like he'd just been slapped.

"Cram it, Serket," Karkat growled. "Sollux, are we ready to broadcast?"

Sollux nodded. "As soon as we give the signal, we'll begin."

"Then stand next to me so we can get this over with!"

Sollux moved, and Karkat took a moment to glance out over the crowd. Then he wished that he hadn't, because  _holy fuck_. There were a shit ton of rebels out there. He'd known that the place would be packed, as many rebels as could fit crammed inside to hear the address firsthand, but  _damn._

"That's a lot of rebels," Eridan murmured.

"Just stand back and let me and KK deal with it." Sollux waved a hand down at someone in the crowd and must have received some kind of signal in return, because he said, "Okay, we're beginning the broadcast now. I'll go through the tactics portion first, then you can take over and give your flowery inspirational speech. Sound good?"

"Sounds good," Karkat growled, barely keeping himself from clawing his kismesis on live television in a  _very_ inappropriate show of PDA. "Don't mess your shit up."

Sollux smirked at him, then elbowed Vriska out of the way to stand at the edge of the balcony with Karkat. Karkat caught the flicker of light that meant they were broadcasting, saw Ladcai give a thumbs up from the front of the crowd, and then Sollux was talking.

Karkat zoned out for it. Sollux was just going through the plan they'd discussed earlier, talking about who would be going where and doing what, and making it clear who each city was to regard as its commander. It went on and on, really, and Karkat felt more and more jumpy with every moment.

Cool fingers brushed to the small of his back. Eridan, trying to comfort him as he started to visibly work himself up. "Calm down," he whispered, too low for the mic to pick up. "You were practically  _hatched_ to do this."

He took a deep breath.  _That's right…even if my ancestor refuses to speak to me, I can at the very least do what the rebels expect of me. I'll act just like he would._

"…psionics will be set free immediately upon the end of the battle, and we encourage all pilots to report to their commanders to be assigned to a ship," Sollux droned on. He had the crowd paying close attention, at least—everyone had their eyes firmly locked on him, and there wasn't a peep from anyone else in the room. He wrapped up the bit about pilots and moved on to the ground strategy without a hitch.

Minutes later, Sollux's portion of the speech was finally drawing to a close. Karkat's stomach coiled with nervousness as he realized that he was going to have to actually talk to the whole of Alternia. He'd done it once before, but still…it was nerve wracking. He had to make sure that an entire planet was on his side. What if they didn't like him? What if they thought he wasn't worthy of following? What if—

_No, no, this is fucking stupid! They thought I was worthy of following before, and that won't have changed now. Digest those fucking butterflies and pull yourself together! The Signless wouldn't be nervous in this situation._

"No matter what happens here, we'll fight together," Sollux was saying. Wrapping things up, it seemed. "I know this is intimidating, knowing that we're going to be going up against the fleet. But please remember that there are  _so_  many more of us, and we have the home advantage. I won't lie, this battle isn't going to be easy. But if we don't flinch in the face of something as terrifying as the Empire, if we stand together and  _stay_ together, we can pull through this as one. We can defeat the Empire!"

Something changed.

Karkat couldn't quite pinpoint what it was, exactly. But as Sollux said those words, something in his mind just… _shifted._  One minute he was there, standing at the side of his kismesis and awaiting his turn to speak, and the next he was gone. He was still there, still conscious, but he  _wasn't._ His mind felt just slightly out of place. Slightly fuzzy.

"Hey, Eridan," he started to say, to tell him that he didn't feel very good and that maybe something was wrong with him, but his lips didn't move and the sounds died in his chest long before they could reach the surface.  _No,_ his mind said, and just like that he was shut down.

"Kar?" Eridan whispered, and he realized vaguely, from some point outside his own body, that he was swaying dizzily. "Are you okay? You're swayin' somethin' fierce."

"I'm fine," he said, but he hadn't been the one to say it. There was a veil over his vision. His limbs weren't his own. "Hey, you have your trident on you, right?"

Eridan frowned. "Yeah, of course."

"Can I use it for my speech?"

"You're not goin' to break it or anythin', right? It's my favorite."

"No, no, I'm not going to break your fucking trident. Just give it here!"

Eridan was looking at him suspiciously, like he couldn't quite figure out where Karkat was coming from, but he obeyed without another word. He trusted him so completely, so fully. It hurt.

Karkat didn't feel the trident when it landed firm and heavy between his fingers. He saw it from somewhere outside himself, knew that he was holding it, but the feeling just wasn't there. Like…his skin was made of rubber. Like he was trapped beneath that rubber, blinking in confusion as his own body tested the weapon's weight.

He held the trident up.

"I guess I overstepped my bounds a bit," Sollux said to the crowd. "Emotional garbage is supposed to be Karkat's role, so I guess I should hand things over to him. I'm sure he has a few things he'd like to say. Right, KK?"

Blindly, he stepped forward. "Yes," he said, "of course I have something to say." He moved up to the front of the balcony. Paused.

It was quick. Like something clicking in his mind, two long-disconnected wires coming together, and his whole body just kind of said,  _oh, okay._ And then he was moving.

Three, sharp movements. One to grab Sollux's shoulder, turn him so that he was facing Karkat with this soft, confused look on his face. One to raise the trident, points leveled with the psionic's chest.

One to thrust the weapon forward with all his strength, stabbing all three points hilt-deep in Sollux's chest.

The room erupted into chaos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Act 3.


	36. Black Sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rebellion deals with the aftermath of the attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the last act! There are only ten chapters left, which is kind of insane because I feel like I've been posting this story forever. After such a buildup, I really hope you guys like the final act!
> 
> This week's chapter is [ Black Sunrise ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yffbl-2_9g) by Audiomachine.

When Karkat opened his eyes, the world was harshly bright. The sky was an almost painful hue of cobalt, light, fluffy clouds rolled by at random intervals, and the sun gleamed happily from somewhere to the right. Beneath him, there was grass. Trees loomed overhead.

_What?_

He tested his muscles slowly. First one, then another, until he felt confident in pushing himself to sit beneath the confusingly pleasant warmth of the sun. When he looked around, he saw that he was in a field. A grassy field. One with rolling hills and beautiful scenery.

And he repeated— _what?_

"You're up. I half thought you were just going to fade back into the real world before you realized you were here."

He jumped to his feet with a yelp, whipping to face the source of the voice, and—

_Oh._

He seemed so familiar. The same scarlet eyes, the same nubby horns, the same rounded face. The same black clothing, shot through with bleeding accents. He was even wearing the cloak, the same one currently draped across Karkat's shoulders and over his head.

In person, the Signless seemed much smaller than he'd imagined.

"H-how…?" Karkat managed, choking a little on the word. "I thought…?"

The Signless offered him this sad little smile that seemed so out of place that it nearly made Karkat laugh, despite the fact that he had no idea what was going on. "Hello, Karkat."

_Hello._ After all this time, that was what he said. Not  _I'm sorry,_ not  _get out of my sight,_ not  _I hate you,_ not even  _I pity you._ Just… _hello._

"It's so good to finally meet you," Signless said softly, gently, and despite the fact that he should  _hate_ the troll, all Karkat wanted was to fall right into his arms. He was staring into the face of someone who understood him more than anyone, someone born under the same sign and born with the same blood, and it made his heart crack in his chest. Again, he tried to speak. He only got as far as a confused whine before he had to bite down on his tongue.

The Signless shushed him with a comforting hum. "It's okay. I…know this is long overdue."

"That's one word for it," he rasped. His entire body shook with  _something_. He wasn't sure what. Relief, maybe? But his ancestor hated him! He  _knew_ he hated him, otherwise he would have tried to speak with him by now.

His ancestor seemed to sense every self-deprecating thought running through his head. Of  _course_ he did. They were practically the same troll, just one generation apart. "Karkat," he said again, in that same comforting lilt. "Please, don't."

He choked on a breath. Whispered, "Shut up."

"Karkat…"

"Shut  _up,"_ he forced out. "You don't get to say my name like that. Like you  _care_."

Silence. The Signless just stared. Waited.

Karkat swallowed hard. "You don't want me."

Nothing.

"You don't want me," he repeated. Deft fingers brushed at his clothing, shaking off the dirt that had clung to him from the grass and straightening the twisted garments. Fidgeting under the guise of making himself look decent. "You wouldn't speak to me. Everyone  _else_  had their ancestors practically fucking  _begging_ to speak with them, but not you. So obviously you hate me."

Something flickered across his ancestor's face. A mixture of sadness, guilt, and pity. "Karkat, no." His name sounded strange on his lips. Richer, maybe. Fuller.

"No," he echoed blandly.

" _No._  That's not right."

"Then why haven't you said anything? Why has everyone else had guidance, but I've been left in the dark?"

He fidgeted a little. "Please…don't think so poorly of yourself. I love you just as much as your hatchmates' ancestors love  _them_. More, in the case of the many of your friends."

He  _loved_ him? No, that couldn't be right. Why had he refused to speak with him if that was true?

Signless held a hand out to him. "Come here, little one."

No. Absolutely not.

His ancestor's expression went soft and pained. "Come to me, Karkat. Please. I love you more than I can express, and I am only here to help you."

"You're a bit late, aren't you?"

More pain. Then, "I know. I…didn't think you would want to be lectured. I saw how you reacted to Kankri, my alternate self, and I feared that you would see me the same way."

Now  _there_ was a thought—that the Signless had been just as afraid of rejection as Karkat.

"Please," Signless repeated. His hand was still extended.

_God damn it,_ Karkat thought. Then he was moving, forcing his muscles to move stiff and uncertain to the place where his ancestor was standing. He took his hand with a grimace.  _What now?_

The answer turned out simpler than he would have thought, as his ancestor used that hold on his hand to draw him in for a gentle hug. Pale, almost—but ancestors weren't quadrant material, so maybe it was more in the spirit of a lusus consoling a grub?

"I'm sorry," Signless whispered. "I never should have let things go this far. It's my fault."

"Which part?" Karkat asked, voice muffled into his ancestor's cloak.

"Just… _this. Everything."_  Fingers plucked at his cloak. "I've made so many mistakes, Karkat…but perhaps the greatest of all has been assuming that you didn't need me."

"I  _don't_ fucking need you!" It wasn't true, though, and the Signless knew it.

"I should have spoken to you sooner. I merely thought that you'd appreciate the freedom of making your own decisions."

Yes. He  _had_ appreciated that. But he had also been hurt and confused and angry. He'd felt disowned.

Signless knew exactly what he was thinking. Had probably thought it himself at one point or another. "I'm sorry," he repeated, holding him tighter. "I never suspected you would feel this way once you found out. But if it's guidance you want, I will do what I can."

_Guidance._ "I hope you don't think I'm just going to bend over backwards like Serket. I'm my own fucking person, and I'm not just going to throw my life away for the rebellion! I won't become a martyr!"

"No. You won't."

"No, I—wait…what?"

"You won't," was the simple response. Signless pushed him to arm's length and stared right into his eyes. It was like looking into a lava flow. "Karkat, it has never been my intention to tell you what to do. That's why I never spoke with you. In truth, I suppose I wanted you to do better than I did. To become something more than a name people fear to so much as think, let alone say. I wanted more for you than… _this."_

Karkat yelped as the world rippled around them, the grass vanishing, the sky darkening until they were standing on the streets of Alternia. He jerked back with a shocked gasp. This…this was—!

Signless kicked bitterly at the rubble, where a few shards of chain clinked together. It sounded louder than it should have. "This is where the Helmsman would have you end up. Where  _many_ of my peers would have you end up. Kneeling here with your arms bound above your head, held by cuffs hotter than the Alternian sun." Fingers brushed to the scarred skin of his wrists. "Pierced through by Darkleer's arrow. Not even given the dignity of being slaughtered by the person you aimed to overthrow."

He could hear it.  _Smell_  it. As if he'd lived it, he remembered it all.

"This is the fate I want nothing more for you to avoid," Signless said. "The pain…it would wreck even the strongest troll. It would make them  _rage._ "

Karkat shuddered, remembering the legend: that Signless had been so bitter, so furious in his final moments, that his anger had carried through to his next incarnation. In that way, they were connected.

Signless kicked aside one of the cuffs that had bound him so tightly all those sweeps ago. "You said you wanted my advice. Do you still want it?"

He nodded mutely.

"Very well. In that case, I will tell you one thing." Footsteps echoed. Signless drew closer until he was looming, eyes shining a scandalous scarlet from beneath the dark hood of his cloak. Claws hooked into the collar of Karkat's cloak, the one modeled to look like his ancestor's, and  _ripped._

Karkat stared in shock as the cloak fluttered to the ground, torn from him in one swipe. "Signless…?"

He leaned close, a hand over Karkat's heart, and pressed his forehead to his dancestor's. "Karkat. Do  _not_ become me."

"W-what…?"

Signless drew away. "Do not become me, little one. No matter how good an idea it may seem to equate yourself to me in order to support your rebellion, you  _cannot_ allow it to go further than it already has. You are not me. I do not  _want_ you to be me. So my advice, if you are still prepared to accept it, is this— _go your own way_. Understand that the past is just that, and the future is up to you to shape. Following in the footsteps of a relic will not give you what you want."

Karkat's heart lurched a little. "Do you mean that?"

"Of course I do. Karkat, I have never wanted anything more than for you to make your own decisions. I thought that by not speaking with you as my peers have spoken to their dancestors, I might help you realize that you were free to do with your life as you pleased. If that meant sacrificing yourself, I wanted that to be a decision that you came to on your own. If that meant living to the fullest and fighting right up until the end, I wanted the same."

"But—but that's the exact opposite of what most of the other ancestors are saying! There have been huge conflicts because of Vriska's fuckhead of an ancestor telling her to stick to the script exactly!"

"Yes…I know. It's as I said—I never should have allowed things to go this far."

"Is this your fault somehow?"

"Not exactly," he said. "I suppose I just feel responsible for them, as you feel responsible for your friends. Some of them have become convinced that following the past is the only way to win, and that could not be further from the truth. Right now, as things stand…I fear for the future. Especially with what has just occurred."

"What do you mean?"

The Signless offered him a look of pure pity. On Eridan it would have made his stomach lurch, but on the Signless it just made him feel terrified. "Karkat…do you not remember?"

"Remember what? What are you talking about?"

Another look, this one even more pitying than the last. Then, "No, I suppose you wouldn't remember. My dear dancestor, I'm afraid that your mind is not your own. In fact, it hasn't been yours for quite some time now."

Horror flashed through him.  _My mind? Not my own?_

"Someone else has had a hold of you for months," Signless whispered. "Waiting for the right time to destroy the rebellion from the inside out. Now they've finally acted, and you…well. You've done something, I'm afraid, something that not even I can see beyond."

_Oh, god._ "What have I done?"

"That is for you to remember, dearest. It is not my place to alter what will be, not in the living world. Here, though…I will do what I can to help you. Talking to Mindfang will be a good start, and the Helmsman will be next. He cannot be allowed to kill Feferi."

_"Kill—?"_

"I've said too much already. I'm sorry, but this is something you will have to do on your own. If this is the last time we speak, then at the very least…"

Karkat jumped as fingers brushed suddenly to his cheek, lips following shortly after.  _Signless…_

"…At the very least, I will always be proud of you. Never forget that, Karkat. No matter what comes next."

 

* * *

 

_"Karkat!"_

Eridan lunged forward in blind horror as the hall burst into terrified cries. One hand hooked around Karkat's throat, the other around the hilt of the very trident he'd asked to borrow not three minutes before, and he heaved back with all his might. Sollux staggered as the trident was wrenched from his chest, yellow blood beginning to fountain from the three gaping wounds right through his body. The expression on his face was too painful to look at, a mixture of shock and confusion and betrayal and heartbreak as he stared right into the eyes of the troll that had just skewered him out of nowhere.

The seadweller threw the trident to one side, half expecting Karkat to go for it and try to kill  _him,_ too, but there was nothing. Karkat had gone completely limp in his arms. His eyes stared up into nothingness.

_What the fuck just happened?_ he thought in shock. He wasn't processing it, the way Vriska was surging up to catch Sollux before he had the chance to keel off the edge of the balcony, the way the psionic was choking on his own blood, the way Karkat was making this soft, horrible whine, fingers clenching on nothing, the way the other players from their session were leaping to their feet and dashing for the balcony. The way the crowd was beginning to yell.

"Cut the fucking broadcast!" a familiar voice snapped, and the next moment he saw the green lights click off.

"Captor!" Vriska was yelling. "Captor, you idiot, don't close your eyes!"

Something clicked in Eridan's head.  _Karkat. Vriska. Mind control._

Half a second later, the spider bitch was flat on her back with a seadweller-sized weight atop her.

"Eridan!" she shrieked. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"It was  _you!"_  he snarled furiously, pressing his elbow hard into the troll's throat. "You fuckin' mind controlled him or some shit, made him stab Sol! Why the fuck else would he just do that? You wanted him dead, wanted Kar dead, you said it yourself! You threatened to let them die, and now—!"

" _Eridan,_ you ass, get the fuck off of me! I didn't fucking do this!"

"How am I supposed to believe that?" he roared. "This wasn't fuckin' Kar's doin', so what other explanation could there be?"

Footsteps sounded on the balcony behind him. Then, "Sollux! Oh my god…"

Vriska pushed up against Eridan. "Look," she hissed, "I swear to you that I didn't do this. I have no idea what the hell just happened, but it  _wasn't me_. This isn't my fucking style anymore, you know that!"

He did know that, but his mind was fogged over with fear and rage. He didn't understand. He didn't understand why Karkat had done what he had.  _He didn't understand._

There was more noise at his back. Aradia frantically calling for a healer, he thought, cradling Sollux tight as Kanaya struggled to apply pressure to a set of wounds that pierced clean through the psionic's torso. Sollux was unconscious. It didn't feel  _real._

"Fins!"

He jolted. "If I figure out that you were responsible—!"

Vriska pushed him off with a snarl. "We both know that I wouldn't just kill him after helping him get this far. Goddamn it, I want him to  _live!"_

"She's right," Terezi said, appearing out of nowhere to drag Eridan back. "We all would have seen it if she had, Eridan, and she  _didn't._  Something else is at work here, and we don't have time for you to attack innocent trolls!"

That snapped him out of it. Something in his mind went sharp and painful, and he sucked in a harsh breath as he turned back to the scene playing out behind him.

Gamzee was cradling Karkat. Patting at his face, crooning frantically for him to respond, but nothing was working. Karkat just stared blankly, like something in his head had just  _snapped_. At the mutant's other side, Tavros was babbling something to Gamzee about calming down. Not far away, Feferi and Aradia and Kanaya were all struggling to keep Sollux alive, while Terezi roared at the crowd to calm down, and for any trolls with healing powers to report to the balcony immediately.

_I have to help._ Eridan got back to his feet shakily and took a step towards Karkat, but the next thing he knew he was pressed face-first to a wall.  _Wha…?_

"Did you know about this?" Feferi snarled. "Was this a part of your plan? Do you have some kind of control over him, or did you just brainwash him so thoroughly that he didn't care about stabbing his own kismesis through the chest?"

"What?" he yelped. "Fef, come on, I pulled him  _off_ a' Sol!"

"We don't have time for this!" Terezi said again.

"If we have a traitor walking in our midst, then—!"

Vriska growled, low and dangerous. "Fine! Terezi, take Karkat and Eridan down to the prison and throw them in separate cells."

"Prison?" Eridan exclaimed.

"The longer we waste arguing, the less of a chance we have that Sollux will live! Just  _go,_ if you're really so loyal! And Gamzee, go with them!"

Gamzee drew Karkat closer. He looked  _scared,_ an expression that Eridan would never have attributed to someone that was normally so goofy and lighthearted.

Terezi nudged at him. "Let's go," she snapped. "Gamzee, bring Karkat."

He didn't bother fighting it. He wanted to be near Karkat, knew that he wasn't welcome with the others, and so he scrambled to obey Terezi when she snapped her fingers and pointed for the door that would lead them off the balcony.

There was nothing more painful than watching the way Karkat didn't even fucking  _blink_ when his moirail lifted him off the ground. The way he just sprawled lifelessly, one arm folded over his chest, the other hanging limp towards the ground, and let his head tip back against Gamzee's shoulder. Seeing him like that, like he'd gone completely  _catatonic,_ started up this dull, throbbing pain deep in his heart that gripped tight and refused to let go.

"Keep moving," Terezi growled. " _I_ don't think you were responsible for whatever the hell just happened, but I'm not taking any chances with candy apple over there. Don't get too close."

It was with great pain that Eridan pulled himself away and forced himself to walk right behind Terezi. Gamzee would keep Karkat safe.

The walk was quiet. Eridan suspected that somewhere, probably all around the globe, the rebels were panicking. And how could they not? They'd just seen their figurehead stab their tactical leader straight through the chest with no warning. Karkat could have just killed Sollux on live television. What were the rebels supposed to think about that?

_They'll think Karkat is a traitor,_ he thought.  _And that I was the one that poisoned him, being the former Vice Admiral. They'll think that my leaving the Condesce's service was a lie, and that I'm still as loyal to her as ever. They'll turn on each other in their doubt, and the Empire will have the advantage they're looking for._

Something about that rang just a little too true. Was it possible…that the Empire had somehow orchestrated this?

_It's not possible. How would they have done such a thing? Though…if they knew this was coming, that Karkat would kill Sollux and fling the rebellion into disarray, it makes sense that they wouldn't have attacked when they had the chance. They were waiting. Waiting for Karkat to end the rebellion_ for _them. The Condesce would just have to sit back and watch to see which of her own were truly disloyal, running to join the rebellion, and then she'd use Karkat to kill their spirit before she swooped down and obliterated the remaining traitors. It would purify the Empire and leave behind only those willing to stand behind her in adversity._

It made just a little too much sense.

"Get inside," Terezi barked, jabbing a finger at the cell Eridan hadn't even realized he was being steered towards. "We'll update you when we know if Sollux is going to live."

_But Karkat…_ He glanced back, but Gamzee was shielding him from sight.  _No…this is necessary. I'll stay locked up. It's not like I haven't done it before._

He stepped into the cell, watched the door swing closed, and was cast into painful silence.

 

* * *

 

Back in the main room, things had devolved into chaos.

"I'm moving him inside!" Kanaya announced, lifting Sollux away from the reach of his quadrantmates. "Feferi, I need you to run to the infirmary and grab everything you think we can use to help. Aradia, go and grab the healers from the crowd. Tavros, Vriska, I need both of you to decaptchalogue any fabrics in your inventory and help me apply pressure to both sides of the wounds in his chest."

There was a flurry of movement. Feferi and Aradia both darted off, matching expressions of panic on their faces, as Tavros and Vriska came forward into the room just off the balcony and withdrew a slew of spare shirts and fabrics. Kanaya lowered Sollux down to the couch as they moved. The psionic was bleeding profusely, chest skewered straight through by Karkat's unprovoked attack, eyes rolled back in his head, skin pale as she'd ever seen it. He didn't look good. She wasn't even sure it was  _possible_ to save him, not with wounds like  _that._ He'd been pierced straight through on either side. It was a miracle he wasn't dead already, that the prongs of the trident hadn't blown straight through his heart. One of his lungs was pierced, though, was flooding with blood, and she was afraid to take a closer look at the other two punctures.

"Here," Vriska said harshly, shoving the pile of clothing in Kanaya's direction. "This'll have to do until Feferi gets back."

"Good, good—here, help me get him on his side."

Vriska and Tavros quickly helped to balance Sollux on one side. Fabric was shoved up against his wounds soon after, and though it didn't do a whole lot to stem the flow of blood, it was enough to help at least a little.

"I've got the healers!"

Kanaya looked up to see three lowblood children standing nervously in the doorway behind Aradia. "Only three?"

"Healing is a rare power to have, you know that! It's a miracle there were this many in the crowd!"

Kanaya flinched as Sollux coughed suddenly, yellow spewing from his lips. Blood was flooding his punctured lung. "Very well. Get over here, the three of you, and tell me how powerful you are!"

The three scrambled forward, terror in their eyes. Two rustbloods, one yellowblood. They wouldn't be very skilled, especially not with how young they were. Sure enough, the first of them stuttered out an uncertain, "I-I can't entirely heal something as major as this, but I can help a little!" and the other three agreed with quick nods.

_They'll tire quickly,_ Kanaya thought.  _I'll have to use their powers sparingly._ "Aradia, call for a psionic! We'll need to cauterize whatever we can't heal straight away." A nod, and then she was gone. "You three will need to do whatever you can to help. I want you to focus on the organs that were shot through; get them working and as healed as you possibly can. One of you take each puncture and do everything in your power to regenerate what's ben torn from his body. If you can manage it, try to regenerate the tissue at the back end of the wounds as well. Just…do as much as you can!"

The healers fell into place without a word. They were shaking with terror, the gravity of the situation no doubt getting to them as they realized that the life of their leader was in their hands, but they were admirably focused as they set their hands over the cloth covering Sollux's wounds and got to work.

It was infuriating, Kanaya thought, standing back with Tavros and Vriska and waiting for the healers to do what they could. But it wasn't as if they could do anything until the children had at least repaired some of the damage.

"Did you see what happened?" Kanaya asked Vriska in a whisper, as not to distract the healers. "You were right there next to him when it happened, weren't you?"

Vriska shook her head. She looked just as disturbed as Kanaya felt. "I don't know what to tell you. One moment everything was fine, and the next Karkat just stabbed him."

"Why would he have, done that?" Tavros asked. "Were they having problems with their kismesissitude…? But even then, um, why would Karkat have gone that far?"

"That wasn't it," Kanaya said. "I  _know_ Karkat, and he never would have resorted to something like this just because he was having some kind of quarrel with Sollux. This was something darker. More sinister."

Vriska gave a blunt nod. "Yeah, I'll agree with you on that one. Whatever just happened, I don't think it was  _him."_

"Mind control? Another psychic?"

"No…" Vriska's expression grew heavy. "I would have felt it if someone else was trying to manipulate him. Something strong enough to make Karkat skewer Sollux like that  _definitely_ would have been intrusive enough for me to pick up on, even if I wasn't actively listening."

"What else could it have been?"

A shake of the head. "I don't know. I've never seen anything like this."

"Do you think you could sense it if something was wrong inside his head? If you hopped in for a visit?"

"I'm not sure, but I'll have to try. Something like this warrants investigation, to say the least."

Feferi appeared in the doorway. "Kanaya, I've got the supplies!"

"Good, put them there and stand back." She pointed to the side of the couch where Sollux was splayed out. From the look of things, the healers were almost at their limits. All three of them were sweating, hands shaking, chests heaving as they pushed themselves harder than was probably healthy in their attempt to save Sollux's life.

Finally, the three staggered back. One crashed against the wall, pale as a sheet, while the other two just collapsed right there on the floor. Not unconscious, just exhausted. Vriska and Tavros were there immediately to pull them away from the couch.

"How much could you do?" Kanaya demanded. She had to know if some of his organs were still damaged, know just what she was working with.

The yellowblood raised a shaking hand. "I healed his lung," he managed raspingly. "P-pushed the blood out and sealed it up. Got a bit of the tissue filled back in, too."

"I got his organs healed around the second puncture," the second said, blinking through bleary eyes.

"Same here," the third choked out. "I m-managed to seal up the backs of the wounds, so there aren't just gaping holes straight through his b-body."

Kanaya breathed an audible sigh of relief.  _Thank god._

"I'll, um, take care of getting these three to the infirmary," Tavros said, but Kanaya was too distracted to do more than nod in affirmation.

Quickly, she drew the cloth away from the wounds. The healers had helped quite a bit, she saw, closing the wounds until they were less gaping and more yawning, and the wounds no longer pierced straight through to the other side of his body. He was still a mess, was still bleeding profusely, but it was a better sort of mess than it had been before. The wounds were more cone-shaped now; they tapered off about halfway through his torso and didn't extend nearly as wide in circumference.

"What do we do?" Feferi asked, horrified. "I've never seen a wound this bad before!"

Kanaya took a deep breath. "The bleeding has to stop. I'm afraid to cauterize so deep inside his body, but at the very least we can apply extreme heat to the surface of the wound to ease the bleeding. I need a psionic. Until then, I'm going to give you a very specific set of instructions, so be sure to follow them carefully. First I need you to locate a bowl and fill it with a  _gentle_ antiseptic. Water it down if you have to. Then you should find sterile packing material, a lot of it, and submerge it in the cleansing solution—but be sure to leave a length of it dry for the outer dressing! After that I need surgical tape cut down to cover the dry packing material so I can secure it on either side of the three wounds. And obviously I'll need sterile gloves! Make sure you don't handle  _any_ of it without gloves. Do you think you can do all that?"

Feferi gave a shaky nod. "I can do it."

"Then take care of it as quickly as you can! The psionic should be—"

As if on cue, Aradia appeared with an orange-eyed psionic. A mutant. "Feferi, I've got the psionic you asked for!"

She gave a sharp nod. "Good. I'm going to need your powers to cauterize these wounds; do you think you can handle it?"

The psionic dipped his head. "I'll do what I can." Then he was moving, kneeling at Sollux's side and reaching out with sparking fingertips. "How do you want me to do this?"

"Stay away from the deepest parts of the wounds," Kanaya instructed. "Focus your powers near the surface, and dissipate the heat the further down you go."

Another nod. Orange arched from his fingertips, sparked into Sollux's body, and the yellowblood jolted with a low whine as the power began to singe its way into his wounds. Kanaya moved to hold him down without a word.

"Almost got it…" the psionic hissed as he shifted his attention from the first wound to the second, then the second to the third. He worked fast. "I can tell the layers of tissue over his internal organs are rather thin, so I have to be careful here." A few more licks of electricity, a spark, a groan, and then the troll was drawing away with a disturbed look in his eyes. "That's the best I can do."

Kanaya dipped close. Grabbed onto a towel, pressing it to the wounds and sopping up the worst of the blood that had pooled inside. When not much blood dribbled out to replace that which had been lost, she knew that the treatment had worked. "Thank you. Now, Feferi, give me the gloves!

The seadweller tossed her a package immediately, and Kanaya wasted no time in pulling them on, careful to make sure she didn't contaminate them as she worked. Feferi soundlessly pushed the bowl of sterilizing liquid closer. Packing material was floating inside, soaked in the stuff. "Thank you," Kanaya said. "Please make sure the exterior packing material and the tape are both ready.

After that, she worked quickly. She took one more pass to make sure most of the blood had been dabbed away, then reached for the packing material. She wrung it out until it was an acceptable texture before gently taking it to Sollux's first wound, the one that had skewered his lung. Tissue now covered the delicate organ, but she still took great care in working the material into his body. She'd done this before. She'd trained herself in most medical procedures over the years in preparation for something exactly like this, and it had saved the lives of her fellow jadebloods in the caverns more than once.

_Fill the space but not too tightly,_ she reminded herself as she used gentle fingers to coax the material into the tapers of the wounds. She repeated the process with the other wounds, working the dampened packing material further in until all three wounds were filled to the proper degree. It was the best she could do.

"Feferi, the top layers, please."

She took the dry gauze when it was offered and draped it carefully over the three punctures, one by one. Feferi handed over the lengths of tape next; she used them to affix the coverings to Sollux's skin.

"Is that it?" Aradia whispered.

Kanaya bowed her head. "It's the best we can do. We'll move him to the infirmary and make sure he's getting plenty of fluids, and the healers will work on him whenever they have the strength. We'll put out a request for any other trolls with similar powers to report to this base to help him. He'll pull through." She wasn't sure, though, even as she said it, and she knew everyone could tell.

"I'll move him," Feferi said quietly. "I'll be sure not to jostle the wounds too badly. Aradia, will you…?"

She gave a tense nod. "I'll go with you. I don't think I can bring myself to leave him right now."

"And don't worry about the rebels freaking out," Vriska said. "At least, not in the base. I'll give them an update and make sure they're not flipping their shit. Outside the base, though…"

"Try another broadcast," Kanaya suggested. "Not from the balcony, from somewhere more private. Explain who you are and tell the public that Sollux has been treated, and Karkat is locked away until we figure out what went wrong. Make sure they know that he wasn't in his right mind, and that the rebellion is not lacking in leadership."

"Of course." Vriska turned for the door. "And…what exactly are we supposed to do with Karkat? He's kind of the entire reason people are supporting the rebellion, you know—how are they going to react if they think he's turned on us?"

"We'll just have to deal with that when it happens. For now, send the broadcast—and when you're done, you should call the rest of us and see what you can pick up from Karkat's mind."

"I'll do just that, then."

Something twisted in the back of Kanaya's mind as she watched Vriska leave.  _Strange…I expected her to attempt to grab power the instant she had the chance. But here and now, she's almost acting afraid. Like…she wants someone to tell her what to do, and she's decided that that person is me. Why? Why isn't she doing what her ancestor told her she was destined to do? Why isn't she leading? Why isn't she at least_ attempting  _to lead?_

She had no answer. But as she stood, mind fogged over by a combination of Vriska's retreating footsteps and the panicked hissing from the crowd outside, she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

 

* * *

 

"Empress! Empress, we've finally managed to pick up a few scraps of a broadcast from the homeworld!"

The Condesce raised a brow as Rohdan appeared out of nowhere, rushing into the throne room uninvited. If had been anyone else she would have been irritated—but just this once, for just this troll, she thought she'd let it go. "What did you pick up?" she demanded.

"Scraps of what seemed like a worldwide broadcast discussing tactics. There wasn't enough to get a good feel for what they're planning, but we're fairly certain that your plan was just carried out. Vantas did exactly as you wanted."

Ah, so that was it, was it? She'd begun to think that the kid would  _never_ act. And since the rebels had seized control of the military bases and cut off all contact, she hadn't been able to know for sure what was really happening back on Alternia. If this was true…

"We lost the broadcast shortly after, but we're still searching for others," Rohdan said. "What would you have us do, now that it seems your plan has worked?"

She hummed. "Well, the rebels should  _reel-y_  start to fall apart now that they've watched their precious leaders attempt to kill each other on live television. The whole coddamn world should be thrown into chaos. So now, while they're nice and distracted, we'll just have to take a trip there and destroy everyone that's  _dared_ to defy me. A purification of Alternia's traitors and lowlife scum."

"I still don't understand why we waited so long to do this. We could have easily followed Ampora down to Alternia and wiped out the rebellion before it reached its peak and been done with this whole mess ages ago! Instead we've just sat back and allowed the rebellion to take control of Alternia, while we putter around out here trying to repair our broken batteries!"

"Careful, Vice Admiral," the Condesce warned.

He jerked his head away. Grumbled, "My apologies, Empress."

"You're right to be concerned, I suppose." She waved a noncommittal hand in his direction, gesturing for him to get to his feet instead of kneeling obediently at the foot of her throne. "The truth is, it's a good thing that this happens every couple hundred sweeps or so. Gets rid a' the filth, you know?"

"What do you mean?"

"I  _mean,_ guppy, that this is the only way to weasel out the  _real_  traitors. These rebels that appear outta nowhere when the revolution first begins, they're small fry compared to the ones that come later. The ones that come once they realize that they stand a chance a' winnin'. If we'd just blasted the rebellion's head off when it first started up, it woulda grown two more heads instead a' just layin' down to die like a good pet. It's the same mistake I made last time. Rip off the head, but don't get the  _heart._  If I'd killed them when they first showed up, it woulda created a martyr. Learned that lesson the hard way.  _This_ is the way to do it. Let it grow, let all the filthy little traitors reveal themselves, the ones buried deep down in my own Empire, and  _then_ we can snap their necks. Rip out the roots, get every single one a' them in one pass. None a' this  _second coming_ bullshit. No Mindfang, no Summoner. I'll get rid a' them together with the Signless this time, and weed out all the  _filth_  on Alternia. A purification. By the time I'm done, there won't be a single guppy on Alternia with even the barest scrap a' rebellion in their blood. They'll be loyal as dogs."

"So this plan…"

"An easy way a' discreditin' their figurehead. Instead of killin' a hero, I'll be killin' someone who turned on the rebellion and killed their Helmsman. No martyr to speak of, just the Empress's plaything."

"And why couldn't you tell us this earlier, exactly? Everyone's been worrying for ages about this plan we didn't even know existed!"

"You saw it yourself, guppy. I couldn't say a thing until I was  _sure_ all the traitors had gone to join the rebellion. If I'd just spouted off my real plan in front a' Serket, the rebels would know exactly what was goin' on right now. But now she's gone, and I'm convinced that everyone here is here to stay. So…" She leaned forward, flashing her teeth at Rohdan. "Be a good Vice Admiral and make sure the repairs on the batteries are going well, would you? The sooner we leave, the better."

That was the one thing she hadn't planned for—the deaths of the psionics hooked into her ship. It had put them behind schedule to a frightful degree. If they took much longer, the rebels might actually be able to reorganize themselves and fight back.

Rohdan clasped a hand over his heart. "Yes, Empress. I believe they're mostly repaired, so we should be able to leave in a few days."

Leave in a few days, travel for two, attack immediately upon arrival. Still too much time for the rebels to regroup. She needed a backup plan. An ace.

Slowly, she grinned. "Rohdan?"

"Yes, Empress?"

"On second thought, there's something else I'd like you to do."

He cocked a brow. "Name it."

She did.

"Empress?" he gasped. "Are you sure? That will—!"

"I'm perfectly aware of what will happen. Just make sure it's done."

"Well…if you're sure…"

"Believe me, Vice Admiral. I am."


	37. Imminence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vriska looks into Karkat's mind. On the outside, the rebellion begins to fall apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't have a much time to polish this chapter, but hopefully that's not too obvious. I had to go out hunting for a new car this week so most of my time was unfortunately eaten up by that!
> 
> This week's chapter is [ Imminence ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnSEUnU5xDA) by Rachel Currea.

The next day, a broadcast went out to all of Alternia. It was a simple thing, barely thirty minutes in length, in which one Vriska Serket said exactly what Kanaya had ordered her to. She made it brief. Sollux was in recovery, Karkat was imprisoned until they could figure out what had happened, and the rebellion would be temporarily headed by Sollux's closest friends. She also asked the rebels not to panic, to stay calm and to trust that the rebellion leadership knew what they were doing.

Still, Vriska had heard the stories. She knew that Alternia was in a panic. There was bickering between rebel factions, some of them believing that Karkat was a messiah who would never do anything unless he thought it would benefit Alternia, others believing that he'd turned on them and become the Condesce's lapdog. All over the world, rebels fought amongst themselves. Keeping total control was impossible—and as time passed, that control just slipped further and further. It had only been two days since Sollux had been stabbed, and already chaos was spreading.

And Sollux…

Things weren't looking particularly good. The psionic had developed a fever the previous night, not a surprising result of the severity of his injuries, and it had yet to break. He still hadn't regained consciousness.

In the aftermath of the unexpected attack, Vriska hadn't yet had time to make good on her promise to take a look into Karkat's mind. She'd been too busy running around trying to convince the rebels everything was okay, that their leaders were recovering, even if she wasn't sure of it herself. Now, though, after two days of scrambling back and forth between parties, she thought that maybe it was time. The sooner they got this mess sorted out, the better.

_The Condesce will arrive in a matter of days,_ Vriska thought.  _Six days, if my calculations are correct. Maybe a week. The longer we spend like this, bickering amongst ourselves with no clear explanation as to what happened, the more likely it is that the Condesce will simply wipe us out without a fight. Already we're losing control of the rebel factions that have formed in response to that broadcast. If this goes on…_

There was only one solution, then—she had to figure out what had happened inside Karkat's head to make him attack Sollux. So she went around, gathered up their friends, and told them that she was going to take a dive into what was quite possibly crazy town. Even Eridan was invited, seeing as he'd done nothing but pace in his cell and call out for his matesprit for two days.

At the end of the third day, they entered Karkat's cell.

Gamzee was there. He'd been there the whole time, taking care of Karkat and trying desperately to get some kind of response. Apparently he hadn't gotten so much as a blink. Karkat was just as limp now, when Vriska and the rest of them walked in, as he'd been directly after it had happened.

"Any change?" Kanaya asked, keeping a respectful distance away from Gamzee and his moirail.

Gamzee looked up. His eyes were dark, sunken. He looked miserable. "No…he's just the same as he's motherfucking been. Won't open his eyes."

Eridan opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, then apparently thought better of it. He probably felt guilty, even though Vriska didn't particularly think that he'd been responsible.

"Let's hope Vriska can change that," Kanaya said. "Gamzee, if you wouldn't mind stepping away…"

Gamzee's grip on Karkat tightened. "No offense, sister, but I'm not much for trusting her with my Karbro. From where I'm motherfucking standing, it could have been her that twisted his mind all up."

"It wasn't her," was the gentle response. "Believe me, Gamzee, we all suspected as much when we first heard the case, but now all of us agree that Vriska had no hand in what happened."

Gamzee eyed her with great unease. "You sure, Kanaya?"

A nod. "I care for Karkat just as much as you do, and I wouldn't trust Vriska with him unless I was completely certain that she wouldn't bring him to harm."

There was a long, painful pause. Then, "Okay. You'd better not let him get motherfucking hurt."

Vriska stepped forward as Gamzee finally released his grip and allowed Karkat to rest on the cot, propped up like a toy against the wall. Every step he took away from the cot was measured, like he was expecting to have to throw himself back in front of his moirail at any moment. Vriska was careful, though, let the indigoblood get a good ways away before she finally approached Karkat.

_What happened to you?_

She hopped up onto the cot. Karkat didn't even seem to know she was there. His eyes had closed two days ago, hadn't opened since, and though it was obvious he was conscious, he wouldn't respond to anyone.

"I'll need to touch him to do this," she said, purely for Gamzee's sake. She didn't feel like being mauled by an affronted moirail. "Don't freak, okay?"

Gamzee narrowed his eyes. Nodded once, slowly.

_Okay._ Vriska carefully leaned herself up against the wall next to Karkat. She took a moment, then, just to see if she could feel anything from the outside. Without touching him, she probed just a little into the front of his mind, and…

_It's so dark…_

A shudder ran through her. She had to take this  _slow_. If she forced her way in, went too fast, she ran the risk of destroying Karkat's mind completely. So she was calm. She proceeded with long, deliberate movements as she tugged Karkat's limp form over to drape across her lap so she could cradle him like a child. Under any other circumstances, she would have been disgusted. She hated the little tidbit, didn't want to hold him like she  _pitied_ him, but this was necessary. She adjusted him until he was propped against her chest.

"Okay," she murmured, thought she knew Karkat couldn't hear. "I'm just going to slip inside your head for a moment, nubs. Nothing to fear, no danger in sight, just a quick peep to figure out what's going on inside that tin can of yours. Just stay nice and calm for me, okay?"

She thought she heard Gamzee give a low growl, but Tavros was on him in a heartbeat. Beside the two of them, Eridan was wringing his hands. He looked like he was about to cry.

There would be time to tease him about that later. For now, there were delicate matters at hand.

God, she hadn't done this in  _such_ a long time. Not delicately, at least. She had to remind herself at least three times right in the first thirty seconds that she couldn't just  _tear_ for the information she wanted. She had to be gentle. When she used her powers to lick at the edges of Karkat's mind, she had to keep her claws retracted.

At the edges of Karkat's mind, there was nothing but darkness. That…wasn't good. Normally the outer parts of a troll's mind were where they stored all their bullshit ramblings, like their more lighthearted worries and stressors. But with Karkat, it was like there was nothing there. Like it was locked away. When she pushed deeper, she was alarmed to find that there was  _still_ nothing.

"W-what do you see?" Eridan asked in this soft, choked-up tone.

She shook her head. "Nothing, yet. Let me just…" She pressed her fingertips to Karkat's temples. And  _oh._ The instant she did it, she could feel  _something._

Frowning, she pushed deeper still. The darkness in Karkat's mind didn't pierce straight through, she noted. The further she went the more she could tell that something was still there. A pit in the center of his brain.

_More. I need to push harder._

One more inch, then another, and then she hit a wall. Just…a  _wall,_ put up around whatever it was hiding in the center of Karkat's head.  _Harder. Push harder._

Karkat jolted. Whimpered.

"What's happening?" Gamzee demanded.

"Shh!" Vriska hissed in response. "I need to concentrate."

_Come on, kid…what are you hiding in there?_ Another nudge, harder than the last. Karkat's fingers closed on nothing. Vriska could feel the walls weakening. Just a little more, a few more tugs in the right direction…

Karkat's back arched like he'd been electrocuted. Claws bit into Vriska's forearms.

"Karbro!"

"Shut up!" Vriska snapped. "I've almost got him…" She let her claws out a little the next time she tried to break down the wall. Let them score across Karkat's mind with the upmost of care, not breaking but  _warning._   _Let me in,_ she was saying.  _Let me in, or I'll tear you apart._

Then, for the first time, she got a response.

_No. You can't go inside._

Vriska paused.  _Karkat? Is that you?_

_You can't go inside. It hurts._

That was him, all right. His voice was soft, garbled, but it was there.  _Where does it hurt? Can you tell me what's going on?_

The mutant shuddered in her grip.  _Stop. I'm not supposed to be conscious. I'm supposed to be gone._

_Why are you supposed to be gone? What do you mean?_

_I did what I was supposed to. Why won't you let me die? Why are you making me stay here?_

_I'm not making you do anything, Karkat. Who are you talking about?_

_I killed Sollux. I killed him. So let me go!_

Vriska frowned.  _You didn't kill Sollux. He's recovering._ Though his fever was just getting worse, and no one knew when or if it would break.

Karkat stiffened.  _What? I didn't kill him? He's alive? No no no no no_

_Karkat! Stop!_

_NO!_

Vriska yelped as Karkat suddenly came to life in her arms, thrashing, screeching, flailing as if in an attempt to grab for something that wasn't there.

"Karbro!" Gamzee cried again, as Kanaya and a few others garbled out sounds of alarm. "What did you motherfucking  _do?"_

"Just  _trust_ me!" Vriska shrieked as she was battered upside the head by Karkat's searching arms. She grabbed for his wrists and held them still, only to be bashed by his heels. "Fuck, help me hold him down!"

Gamzee was there in a flash to take him from Vriska's arms. "Karbro," he said again, "come on, come back to me, you're okay…" He papped him on the cheeks as firmly as he knew how. "Shh…shoosh, palebro, you're okay, you're with me…"

Karkat made this low, grating,  _terrible_ noise. Flailed again, lashing out blindly with his claws and managing to tear them down Gamzee's face in three great slashes, two on either side of his eyes, one down the center of his face. The indigoblood recoiled with a roar of shock and pain.

Tavros gasped. "Oh no! Gamzee!"

"Fuck!" Vriska hissed. "Tavros, get him back! Kanaya, put weight on Karkat's chest! Aradia, his wrists! Feferi, his legs! Terezi, his shoulders!"

"What about me?" Eridan glubbed.

"Get your hands on his horns," she ordered. " _Make_ him calm down!"

Eridan went pale. "Oh, fuck…" But still he moved, clearly seeing no other choice, and pulled Karkat's head into his lap. Fingers closed around his horns, squeezed a few times with just the right amount of pressure, and Karkat's struggling decreased just slightly.

"Keep him down!" Vriska hissed. "There's something in his head, I just need to reach it!" She dropped back down to her knees at the mutant's side and got her fingers back on his temples. Dove back in with all her strength.

_Come on, Karkat, you have to let me in!_

There wasn't a distinguishable response. It was a mangle of  _no_ and  _please_ and  _hurts_ and  _stop,_ and it made even Vriska's head spin with the force of it. Still she persisted, shoving hard against that tall, tall wall. She had to get over it. She  _had_ to.

_A little more…give it to me, nubs…_

_No! No, no, I can't, it hurts, I have to kill Sollux! I have to kill him, have to make sure he's dead, dead, dead, dead! That's what she said! That's what will make the pain go away!_

_Give it to me!_

_Get OFF!_

_I can't! You're hurting your quadrants!_

_Get off get off get off get off_

_KARKAT!_

Something snapped. Something big, something monumental, and then Vriska choked as she was suddenly overwhelmed with the pure sensation of  _hurt._  That wall had cracked, had given way, and she could barely breathe.

_Kill Sollux! Kill him, kill him now, kill him!_

It was a torrent, a wave unlike anything she'd ever felt. It was so strong that for a moment she was almost convinced. She almost withdrew then and there, overcome with the desire to see Sollux dead. But the next moment she was back, had her head on straight, and she pushed through the wave of pain with everything she had. She had to get beyond the wave.

Suddenly, it was calm.

Vriska nearly laughed in her relief as the wave of agony passed and she found herself adrift in the very core of Karkat's being. It wasn't as dark there. There was just enough light for her to see a pair of fuchsia eyes staring out from the center of Karkat's soul.

_What? The…the Condesce?_

Karkat's mind twanged around her like a string pulled tight. The world lightened, shifted, and suddenly she was watching as the hazy outline of the Condesce approached a gray blob of a troll kneeling before her.

"I'm going to give you an order," the figment said in a voice that was far too  _real._ "And you're going to follow it, aren't you, Karkat?"

The gray blob—Karkat, apparently—slurred out a groan as the Condesce stalked forward. That groan came back again when the Empress knelt at his side and closed a vice-like grip around his horns.

"Look me in the eyes, Vantas."

The figure tilted his head up, seemingly against his will.

"Now…here's what's going to happen. I'm going to order Eridan to send you to the handlers, and he's going to do it. After you've been there for a while, though, he's going to realize what an  _awful_ mistake he made, and he's going to betray me and send you home. Maybe he'll even go with you. But when you get back to Alternia, I'm afraid you're going to have a bit of a nasty surprise for your dear kismesis!"

_No…Karkat, you didn't…_

"I want you to wait until you've taken all of Alternia for yourselves," the Condesce went on. "Wait until everyone who's going to betray me has already thrown their lot in with you. Then, when the time is right, you're going to kill your kismesis in front of the whole world."

_Oh god._

"You'll kill Sollux Captor while the whole world is watching. Then, once you're done, you're just going to shut down. No talking. No thinking. No acknowledging anyone. You'll drive your friends half mad with confusion, and then I'll pick them off while they're trying to save you."

Karkat stared blankly. His eyes were glazed over with submission.

"Do you understand what you are to do?"

"Yes." His voice was flat and lifeless.

"Repeat it to me, guppy."

"I will kill Sollux Captor and fall into a permanent state of unconsciousness immediately afterwards."

The Condesce seemed pleased. Claws raked lightly up the sides of Karkat's face. "Very good. And what's more, you're going to  _forget_ that you're going to do all that until it's time to actually carry out the plan. Do you think you can forget for me, so you won't give yourself away?"

He nodded. "I'll forget this conversation."

"Yes, guppy. You will."

Karkat's mind shifted again, rippled like a wave, and the next moment Vriska was being tossed out, too stunned to fight it. She opened her eyes to Karkat's real body, writhing and twisting against the hands of his friends.

"Vris?" Eridan asked frantically. "What did you see?"

She choked on a breath. Reached back into Karkat's mind just one more time and issued a command of her own.  _Sleep._

For a heartbeat she wasn't sure it would work. Karkat was under the command of a tyrian, after all, someone more powerful than Vriska's much lower shade of blue. But it seemed that she hadn't lost her edge  _that_ much, and her command was at least enough to send Karkat into a restless stupor. He went limp without a sound.

"What the fuck was that?" Eridan yelped. "Even grabbin' his horns wasn't calmin' him down!"

"Yes," Kanaya agreed, "an explanation would be rather useful right about now. Vriska, what happened in there?"

She had to take a few more breaths to get herself under control enough to speak. Then, "The Condesce has him."

Eridan stiffened. "The Condesce?"

"How is that possible?" Kanaya asked. "I know she has powers not unlike your own, but how can she possibly be maintaining control over this far a distance?"

"She's not. It's more like…she gave him an order, ingrained it so far into his psyche that he couldn't even  _think_ of resisting, and then she let him go."

"How the fuck did that work, though? Why wouldn't he have told us what happened? Told  _me_ what happened? I was with him on the flagship, he should have said somethin'!"

"I don't think he  _could,"_  Vriska said. "I saw what happened. The Condesce did something to him. Got her hands around his horns and stared into his eyes and just kind of  _took_ him. She ordered him to kill Sollux once all of Alternia was under the control of the rebels, so that the world would see him as nothing more than the Empire's plaything. Then, once she made sure the order took, she made him forget until the time was right to carry out her command."

Kanaya's eyes widened. "She made him forget? She's that powerful?"

"Well she's powerful enough to order him into an effective coma."

"Oh god," Aradia whispered. "So that's why he tried to kill Sollux. The Empress ordered him to do it, did something to make the order stick, and he couldn't so much as struggle against it."

"He tried, I think. In his head, all I felt was this wave of  _agony,_ like he'd tried really hard to wall up that part of his subconscious and was being punished because of it. I think that…if the Condesce gives you an order, there's not much anyone can do to resist it. And what's more, I'd imagine it's commonplace for her to order her victims to forget they're being manipulated. That would explain why we didn't already know this was possible."

"Kar knew," Eridan said quietly. "He said somethin' about it a few times, mentioned this rumor he'd heard about that very thing. I thought it was a load 'a bull, but apparently it wasn't. I should have listened to him."

"Even if you had, it wouldn't have made a difference. The Condesce is way too powerful for you to have done anything about it."

"Well, what can we do about it now?" Kanaya asked. "Is he just going to be trapped like this, held under by the Condesce's order to shut his own body down? Surely there's something you can do to reverse it!"

Vriska shook her head. "Rewriting someone's subconscious is a  _major_ task, something that's dangerously easy to fuck up.  _Especially_ when the Condesce is the one that made him like this in the first pace, and even the mere  _suggestion_ of letting Sollux live and returning to his normal self causes him immense pain. If I try, I could mess him up for good."

"He's  _already_ messed up for good," Kanaya said. "Unless we help him in some way, that is. There has to be  _something_."

Eridan cleared his throat. "Um…I might have a suggestion."

"Shoot, then!"

"W-well…" he stuttered. "I didn't know that the Condesce could order people around, but…if she can, it has to be a power that only a tyrian can access, right? Like, a signature ability that the Condesce and her bloodline can use, but no one else."

"…Yeah," Vriska agreed, "that seems likely. A power like that pretty much always gets passed down to your dancestors." Then she paused.  _Oh._

Feferi caught on a second after everyone else. "Wait…you're not serious! You can't really think that  _I_ can—!"

"You can," Eridan said. "Come on, Fef, you're way more powerful than you give yourself credit for! Anythin' the Condesce can do, you can do too."

"B-but this is serious! This is Karat's  _life_ we're talking about here!"

"Yes, and you have the power to save it! You  _can_  reverse this. Grab his horns, look him in the eyes, and order him to forget everything the Condesce told him."

Feferi shifted nervously. "Yes, but the Condesce is still more powerful than I am. I might not be enough to do anything!"

"Which is why Vris is goin' to help you!"

_Woah._ "Hey," Vriska said, "what makes you think I can help? I already told you I don't think I can rewrite something so delicate."

"You don't need to! Fef can give him the order, and you can just nudge it into place a little and make sure it overwrites whatever was put there before. It'll work, Vris, I  _know_  it will. It has to!"

"Eridan—!"

Vriska stepped back as Feferi started to yell.  _Could it work? If Feferi gives him an order and I slot it into place, can we actually manage to derail the plan that the Condesce set in motion? We…we have to try, right? The longer Karkat stays like this, the worse things get all over Alternia. The more fights break out, the more rebels turn back towards the Empire, the more things fall apart. If this stands even a chance of working…_

"Feferi," she said, "stop. I think we need to try this."

"What?" the seadweller yelped. "This could  _kill—!"_

"We all know what it could do! But the fact is, we don't have any other choice. If Karkat stays like this, the rebellion will be done for. We have nothing to lose in trying it."

"Nothing to lose but Karkat's life!" Feferi glubbed. "If something goes wrong—!"

"Feferi," Eridan said softly, and immediately all eyes were on him. Vriska didn't think she'd ever seen him so serious. "Kar is my matesprit. He means more to me than anythin'. But if it comes down to dyin' a hero or livin' like this, trapped in his own head…I know what he'd want."

"We should at the very least talk to his moirail before we allow this to happen!"

Eridan glanced to where Gamzee and Tavros had vanished several minutes prior. "Yeah. Yeah, okay, but he's goin' to tell you the same thing. He knows Kar just as well as I do."

Feferi bristled. "Let's go talk to him, then!"

"Okay. Let's."

Feferi turned towards Vriska. "You stay here with Aradia, Terezi, and Kanaya and keep an eye on Karkat. We're going to go see Gamzee, and then we'll come back and let you know what the plan is."

"Okay," Vriska agreed.

"Oh, and one more thing—when this is over and done with, I want you to check Eridan for any orders in his subconscious. If the Condesce could do this to Karkat, she could it to Eridan, too. We have no idea what kind of ticking time bomb we may be dealing with."

"Hey!" Eridan protested.

"No arguing, Ampora! The Condesce has had nearly four sweeps to put whatever she wants into your head."

"Yeah, but don't you think I would have betrayed you by now if there was anything in there I didn't know about?"

"She could have you programmed to betray us in the final moments of the battle," Feferi hissed. "That would explain why you haven't done anything so far."

Vriska just shook her head. "I hate to say it, fins, but it's a definite possibility. You're probably safe for now, but the instant Karkat is dealt with I should probably hop inside that head of yours and poke around to see if there are any walls."

Eridan opened his mouth to protest, then seemed to think better of it. He let his shoulders slump a little. "Fuck…yeah, you have a point. Let's just take care of Kar first, though, okay?"

"Of course. Go see Gamzee now."

Feferi and Eridan exchanged glances, first with each other, then with Vriska, and then they were exiting the room to go seek out the moirail of the only person that could hold the rebellion together.

 

* * *

 

Gamzee's verdict was, as Vriska suspected, exactly as it should have been.

_Whatever it takes, brother. Karbro wouldn't have wanted to up and live in a motherfucking shell, so I'm trusting you to do whatever you have to do. Just bring him the motherfuck back._

So here they were.

Eridan had hauled Karkat up to a room with an examination table, where he'd been strapped down at every joint to prevent the freak-out that had put three gashes in his moirail's face. There had been a few other preparations, such as keeping all the healers they had at the ready in case something went wrong, and then everyone was banished from the room except for Feferi and Vriska herself. They'd decided together that any distractions would make an already difficult process impossible.

"I'm not sure I can do this!" Feferi chirped nervously, pacing back and forth in front of Karkat's unconscious form. "There's just so much pressure, and what if I can't do anything? What if I give him the order and he just won't listen? What if this ends up somehow making things worse, or just flat out killing him? If he dies, we'll never be able to regain control of the rebels! We won't be able to—!"

Vriska nudged her. "Hey, calm down! He doesn't  _have_ to listen to you, remember? I'm the one that'll help him do that. All you have to do is give the order the way Eridan described, and I'll push it right into place inside his head. Just…I don't know, take deep breaths? You'll be fine!  _He'll_  be fine!"

"But what if—!"

_Okay. Time out._ "Feferi, you're  _fine._ No matter what happens here, it'll be worth it because we will have tried. Chin up!"

"B-but…I know I'm supposed to be able to do this, that it's in my blood, but what if I completely fail? What if it turns out that I can't order people around, that I'm nowhere near as powerful as my ancestor?"

"Peixes, my ancestor has been telling me this whole time that I'm fated to lead the rebellion with Tavros. Now here we are, I've been given a shining opportunity to do just that, and I've been letting  _Kanaya_ dish out all the orders for some  _insane_ reason that I can't fathom. Don't talk to me about not being as good as your ancestor."

Feferi blinked. "Oh, Vriska, I had no idea that—!"

"Just give the order," she grumbled. She hadn't even wanted to tell Feferi that, but it had seemed like the only option. It was true, though—she knew that Mindfang would want her to use this chance to take control of the rebellion. She'd probably tell her to purposefully fuck Karkat up, make sure he never awoke, then do the same to Sollux before going on to take full control of the rebellion. But the time had come and Kanaya had stepped up, had snatched control without a second thought, and Vriska had  _let_ her. The thought of taking over hadn't even crossed her mind in the scramble to save Sollux. Following orders had felt right.

_Maybe something's wrong with me,_ she thought, more disturbed than she wanted to admit by her own inability to just  _take control. Mindfang won't be pleased about this when I see her next. I was so sure that I wanted to follow in her footsteps and reach victory, reach glory, but…why couldn't I do it? Why can't I just do what I know would give me the power I want? What's keeping me from just manipulating everyone to my liking? This shouldn't be bothering me as much as it is. I've never had a problem with things like this before, so why now?_

"Okay," Feferi said, drawing Vriska back to the present. "I'm going to start now. If you'll take your place…"

Vriska seated herself in the chair that had been pulled up to Karkat's side, while Feferi took the one at his head. She placed her hands to Karkat's chest. "I'm ready when you are."

Feferi gave a nod. Then she reached out, fingers only shaking a little, and wrapped both hands around Karkat's horns. "Oh god," she whispered, "this feels so wrong. I shouldn't be touching him like this." She grabbed harder. Squeezed in long, pulsing motions to get the mutant nice and relaxed. "Okay, Vriska, let him wake up."

She clicked her fingers.

The reaction was immediate. Karkat jolted, eyes flaring open as he was no doubt filled with the desire to rip Sollux to shreds. The restraints creaked at every joint.

"K-Karkat?" Feferi stammered. "Um…I need you to look at me!"

Karkat didn't even seem to hear her. He thrashed with what had to be all his strength. Whined with the longing to rip free.

"Karkat!" Feferi called again. She squeezed hard around the bases of his horns. The mutant shuddered, but continued to thrash.

"You have to be more authoritative!" Vriska insisted. " _Make_  him listen to you!"

_"Karkat! Stop!"_

He went limp.

Feferi stared in shock, mouth hanging slightly open as she processed the fact that it had  _worked._ This first part, getting Karkat to calm down, had worked.

"Don't stop!" Vriska hissed. "Keep going!"

The seadweller jolted, then squeezed quickly around Karkat's horns until he looked good and subdued. "Okay," she breathed shakily. "Okay. Karkat, can you look at me?"

No response.

"Karkat, look at me  _now!"_

Scarlet eyes snapped up to clash with fuchsia.

At the very least it was obvious that Feferi had  _some_ kind of control over him. Even if it wasn't the full blown powers of the Condesce—Karkat probably would have looked up at the first suggestion if he'd been dealing with the Empress—it was  _something_. Feferi's command had been enough to break Karkat's desire to rip Sollux limb from limb for at least a moment.

"Keep eye contact," Feferi ordered with firmness that obviously made her uncomfortable. Her grip on Karkat's horns didn't falter. "Karkat, I'm going to give you an order. I'm going to give you an order, and you  _are_ going to listen to me. Do you understand?"

Karkat didn't respond beyond a light twitch.

She squeezed around his horns. "Tell me what you're going to do!"

"I'm going to listen to you." It was said slowly, though, haltingly, as if he wasn't quite sure.

"Yes, you are." The seadweller leaned close and locked eyes with her soon-to-be victim. There would be no escaping. "Vriska, I'm ready."

She knew that she was. Vriska pressed down hard on Karkat's chest, maintaining physical contact in a way that would help her powers penetrate right to the center of his skull. Closed her eyes. Concentrated.

Then, just like that, she was back in darkness.

Feferi seemed to sense it was time. Vriska couldn't see her, could only see the darkness of Karkat's head, but she assumed that she was dipping even closer and making sure her authority over Karkat's physical form was unquestionable.

"Karkat," she began in her harshest voice, "I order you to discard all intentions of killing Sollux Captor."

Starting with that command, then. Vriska could work with that.

She saw the command when it appeared. She saw a bolt of fiery pink lick through the outer portions of Karkat's mind and dart towards the center, where the tall, tall wall awaited it. Vriska pushed it forward with a hiss. Watched as it strengthened momentarily, then shattered against the barrier erected by the Condesce.

"Not enough," Vriska announced. "More!"

Feferi's expression went dark and serious. "Karkat! I order you to discard all intentions of killing Sollux Captor, your kismesis!"

Another flicker of pink. Vriska shoved at it as it approached, helped it gain velocity as it crashed into the wall and dissipated into nothing. "Again!"

"Karkat Vantas, I am your tyrian and I am  _ordering_ you to discard even the slightest thought of harming Sollux Captor!"

It was stronger this time. Karkat's mind was more receptive to it. The flicker of pink turned into a bolt of lightning, cracking against the wall with a hard push from Vriska.  _Hairline fissures._ She felt them,  _saw_  them. The wall had splintered just a little.

"Feferi, keep going—I think it's working!"

"Karkat, I  _order_  you…!"

It went on like that, Feferi giving the same order, Vriska strengthening it and flinging it up against the wall, said wall cracking and chipping bit by bit. Five minutes in, there was progress. Ten minutes in, there was more. Twenty, there was even more. An hour, and Vriska was wincing with every shove against Karkat's mind. The wall would crack soon. Despite the dull, aching pain in the back of her head, the hurt telling her to stop using her powers, they were almost  _there_. They were almost there, and she didn't want to risk the wall rebuilding itself if they had to take a break.

Then, just when she was on the verge of cracking herself, she felt something give.

"…any intentions of harming Sollux Captor!"

Another flash of pink, bright as the sun, and Vriska hurled it forward. And something  _gave._ There was a crack in the wall, one right in the center that ran up and down, branched out like a spider web.

"Almost!" Vriska gasped out. "Almost, Feferi, just a little more…!"

"I order you to—!"

Just like that, the crack widened, the wall shrieked, and a hole was punched right in the center. Vriska felt a sick shade of pink trickling from the hole in his head, like Feferi's color but  _muddied._ The Condesce's orders, draining from him little by little. They leaked into the exterior of his mind and were swept away by a torrent of scarlet.

"Now, quickly, while his mind is receptive!"

Feferi nodded. The fingers around Karkat's horns gave just one more squeeze, one more pulse, and then she was giving the order for what was hopefully the last time. "Karkat, I order you to discard all intentions of harming Sollux Captor!"

It took. Vriska felt it take, felt Feferi's command punch down the reminder of the wall and yank what remained of the Condesce from Karkat's mind. All desire to harm Sollux flickered and went out.

"You got it!" Vriska exclaimed. "He listened! Tell him to—!"

The seadweller was already speaking. "Good. You did good, Karkat. Now, I order you to wake up and return to your normal self!"

There was a long, painful pause before anything happened. But then, slowly, Karkat gave a blink and cocked his head to one side. "Feferi…?"

"You are not to follow any of the Condesce's orders from here on out. If you suspect you are under her control at any point, you are to tell someone immediately. Do you understand?"

Karkat's eyes glazed over. "Yes. I understand."

_Shit._ It was kind of terrifying, actually, now that Vriska had finally allowed herself to withdraw from Karkat's mind and see the physical effects of what was happening. Karkat looked  _wrecked._ There was this mutant flush on his cheeks, a shine to his eyes, a certain kind of tension running through his body despite the grip on his horns. At least he wasn't trying to kill anyone.

"Good," Feferi said. "I'm going to let you go now, Karkat. Are you going to hurt Sollux again?"

He shook his head. "No."

"No what?"

"No, I won't hurt Sollux. I won't hurt him, I'll remain conscious, and I won't listen to the Condesce."

"Okay, Karkat, that's good. You can wake up now."

A pause. Then a breath, sharp and choking, and Karkat was back.

"What the blistering, taint-chafing  _fuck_ am I doing in here? Feferi? Vriska? Oh my god, did you fucking  _tie me down?_  Why can't I move? Let me up!"

Feferi glanced to Vriska. "Is it safe to..?"

She nodded. "Yeah, he's clean. I don't sense anything weird coming off him."

Feferi's expression went lax with relief. "Oh, thank goodness! Hang on, Karkrab, I'll get you out of there." One, two, three swipes of her claws, and Karkat was struggling to sit up.

"Oh, fuck," he groaned suddenly. "My fucking  _head…_  What happened to me?"

"Lay down," Feferi soothed. "You just…um, well, maybe you should remember on your own."

Karkat blinked. "Yeah…yeah, on my own…" His eyes went a little hazy. "Oh man, I think I'm going to pass out."

"Karkat, don't—!"

Vriska stopped her before she could get going. "Hey, calm down. We practically just opposite-brainwashed him, it's normal that he'd feel a little wiped while he resets."

"Y-yeah," Karkat mumbled, "reset my…wait…what…?" He didn't get any further, though, because the next moment his eyes were rolling back in his head and he was going completely limp against the table. Out cold.

"He'll be fine," Vriska assured Feferi, even as the seadweller dipped low over Karkat in her nervousness. "There's not a trace of the Condesce left in him. I can check him again when he wakes back up if you're nervous."

"That would be great. And…if you wouldn't mind scanning Eridan too…"

"Urk…just give me a few minutes okay? Using my powers for this long is kind of a brain drain."

Feferi blinked. "Of course! I'm just worried about the whole situation. If Eridan has orders planted in his subconscious…"

"I'll find anything that's in that empty can of his. Don't worry."

The seadweller offered her a shy, grateful smile. "Thank you. Seriously, Vriska…I know you didn't have to do this."

No, she hadn't. But she  _had_. And in doing so, she'd basically guaranteed that she wouldn't be leading  _shit_. Karkat would recover, Sollux would probably be okay, and the two of them would lead the rebellion like nothing had ever happened.  _Hopefully._

"I'm going to get the others," Feferi said. "They'll want to see him."

She turned and was gone.

 

* * *

 

Eridan paced back and forth outside the room Karkat had been moved into on an endless cycle, over and over, hoping with every passing moment that his matesprit would emerge unharmed. But minutes passed, then a full hour, before he heard so much as a peep from the room.

The whole time he was terrified. What if Feferi was right? What if the Condesce had not only wrecked Karkat beyond repair, but placed suggestions in his  _own_  head as well? What if he was a sleeper agent, just like Karkat? What if he was just waiting to do something that would ruin everything? What if…?

_What if the Condesce ordered me to kill Karkat?_

The thought was terrifying him. If the Condesce had popped into his head, told him to turn on everyone in the final moment when victory was finally at hand…

_I need Vris to take a look inside my head. At least then we'll know what we're dealin' with, and maybe they can stop me from doin' whatever it is I'm supposed to do._

He couldn't do anything but worry until then, though, and when the doors to the room finally opened he nearly jumped out of his skin.

Feferi appeared in the doorway with a small smile. She looked exhausted behind it. "Hey…we think we managed to fix everything."

"That's fantastic!" Kanaya exclaimed. "How did you do it?"

"Repetition," was the flat answer. "We kept battering at him until he cracked. He's resting now, but Vriska says there's no sign of the Condesce left in his head."

All the breath rushed out of Eridan in one big whoosh.  _Relief._ It surged through him.  _Karkat is okay. The Condesce doesn't have a hold on him any longer._

"I'll go tell Gamzee," Aradia said. "His face should be just about stitched up by now." She turned and slid from the room like a shadow.

"Can I see him?" Eridan asked the instant she was gone. "I mean, uh, can  _we_ see him?"

Feferi narrowed her eyes. "He's unconscious. Plus, we're still not sure if you're programed to kill him or something. It's not safe for the two of you to be in the same room until we make sure you're clean."

"Then get Vris out here and let's see!"

"She's tired! She needs a break before she can just tear into that thick skull of yours!"

_Ouch. I knew Fef hated me now, but…wow._

"We'll give it a few hours," Kanaya said quickly, no doubt sensing the impending conflict. "Then Vriska can look at Eridan, and we can all go in and make sure Karkat is okay."

Disappointment stabbed through him, but he knew that they both had a point. He knew he'd never hurt Karkat, but did  _all_ of him know that? Was it even safe for him to be walking around right now without restraints?

"Fine with me," Feferi grumbled. "As long as he doesn't just get to go free before he's checked out."

He decided. "That's not goin' to happen."

"How do you now?"

"Because you're goin' to cuff me, just in case I try to do somethin' drastic."

That made Feferi pause. She blinked, watching him with something akin to disbelief, and asked, "You'd seriously let us do that?"

"Look…if there's any chance I'm goin' to hurt Kar or anyone else, I shouldn't be walkin' around without some kind of precautionary measure. Cuffs are the easiest to deal with, plus I'd get to see Kar before he wakes up, so…"

Kanaya offered him a gentle smile. "Of course. I don't suppose anyone has handcuffs on hand?"

A pair of cuffs slapped down on Eridan's wrists with a click. "No problem, Kanaya—legislacerators like myself are always equipped to handle the baddies!"

Okay, wow, his hands were bound behind his back. He'd submitted to it, but the metal was biting into his wrists almost painfully, and it was just dawning on him that he wouldn't be able to touch his own matesprit.  _Calm it down, Ampora. This is fine. Put up with it for a few minutes, and you can have Kar back. Calm. Down._

"Hey, Ampora, you're a bit pale. You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," he said immediately. "Now that I can't do anythin', can I see Kar?"

All eyes turned to Feferi. The seadweller's fins were flared in frustration, eyes narrowed to slits, but there was a hint of resignation behind the anger. "Fine. But if there's even a hint of aggression, you'll be  _dead_."

Her anger was understandable. After all, from her point of view it was entirely possible that Eridan had something to do with the current state of her matesprit.

Eridan nodded. "I can accept that. Just…let's go see if Kar is okay."


	38. Tragedy and Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vriska reaches into Eridan's mind. No one likes what she finds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who forgot it was Saturday!
> 
> Okay, so this chapter. I have a feeling some of you guys are going to be irritated and think that I threw the Eridan thing in as a convenient way of explaining away his actions and removing all accountability, and while I can't change that opinion I CAN say that that isn't the intent. So I'm genuinely sorry if you're irritated by it, but I didn't want to change something I've had planned since the early chapters of the story. With that being said, I very much hope you enjoy this chapter! We'll get more in depth with Eridan in the next chapter.
> 
> This week's chapter is [ Tragedy and Fate ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIG69B-aMxA) by Yuki Kajiura.

Karkat, as it turned out, was not okay.

"He's warm," was the first thing that Eridan heard when he walked into the room. Vriska was standing over Karkat (looking none too healthy herself, having spent the better half of the past hour in Karkat's mind, but she wasn't the one Eridan was worried about). The blueblood pulled her hand away from Karkat's forehead. "I mean, he always feels warm to me, but this just seems excessive."

Terezi was the one to step forward. "Let me feel," she commanded, teeth poking out in a fangy grin. "I'm the closest here to his blood color, so maybe I can tell."

"Yeah, but you haven't had any physical contact with him in ages!" Eridan protested. "Come on, let me do it. I know his temp better than my own."

Feferi jabbed a claw into his back. Snapped, "We're not giving you your hands back, so tough luck!"

He groaned. "Fine! At least let's get him to the infirmary to treat the fever before it gets any worse!"

"Not much we can do to treat a fever," Vriska pointed out. "Otherwise Captor would be back on his feet by now."

Eridan shuddered. Sollux's condition was just kind of  _hanging_ there, temperature amped up, body wracked with chills despite the healers' best attempts to fix the damage. If Karkat's condition got that bad, too…

"It will still be better for him to be in a bed," Kanaya decided in that authoritative tone that left no room for disagreement. "And Vriska, as soon as you feel like you're ready to deal with Eridan…"

She waved a hand. "I'll be good in a few hours. Hell, maybe nubs will be awake for it when it happens."

"Maybe," Kanaya agreed tersely. "Now, can we hurry up and move him?"

"Yeah, yeah, calm down. I'm on it."

 

* * *

 

Eridan hadn't been to see Sollux since the attack. So when he saw him again, stretched out over a cot in the infirmary and sweating out what looked like half his body weight, it finally struck him just how  _real_ this was. Karkat had really done this. He'd bent to the Condesce's will, let his mind be taken over and manipulated and ravaged until he felt he had no other choice but to make an attempt on the life of his own kismesis.

He couldn't blame him, though. It wasn't as if Karkat had ever been given the chance to fight back. From what Vriska had said, it sounded like every time he so much as tried, he was hit with a wave of pure agony—and even if that weren't the case, Karkat hadn't even  _known_ about the orders. He'd forgotten, because he'd been ordered to forget. It was truly a terrifying thought. He'd never realized how powerful the Condesce truly was.

In any case, now he was feeling like something of an outsider. Not that that was anything new. He was sitting next to Karkat, hands still cuffed behind his back, as a group of his friends huddled around Sollux nervously. Feferi was there, and Aradia, both crouching low over the psionic as he shook and whimpered. There was no change in his condition. No one knew if he'd live or just succumb to the fever in his sleep.

On the other side of the infirmary, Gamzee was sitting as still as he could while a healer tried to seal up the gashes on his face. The cuts were mostly closed now, it seemed, but he was still covered in blood and doomed to come out of the encounter with a set of three nasty scars. A physical reminder of what he'd sacrificed for the safety of his moirail. Tavros was with him, towel in hand, mopping up some of the indigo goop clinging to his skin.

And of course, directly next to him sat Vriska and Terezi. Vriska had her eyes closed in what was almost certainly an attempt to recover from her jaunt into Karkat's head, and Terezi was just sitting there staring off into nothing. She looked oddly relaxed.

"You smell nervous, fins," the tealblood said suddenly. "Don't worry, it'll all be fine! Karkles is way too strong to let something as dumb as a fever take him away from us. He'll sweat it out and wake up, probably any minute now."

Eridan  _really_  wished he could reach out and check his matesprit's temperature. Wished he had the use of his hands, really, but he himself had agreed to having them bound to protect himself and everyone around him. Just in case.

"I've seen Kar in enough pain for one lifetime, Ter. Believe me."

"Oh yeah," she said, and there was a rather uncharacteristic somberness to her tone. "Vriska told me that you let him get captured by the Empire. That you took him to the goddamn  _flagship_  of all places! Seriously, Eridan, what were you thinking?"

"I'm…not sure." He really wasn't. What had compelled him to do such a thing? How blind could he possibly have been? If he'd just taken Karkat's advice and escaped with him before they left Alternia, all of this could have been avoided. Karkat would still have been tortured, yes, but he wouldn't have to deal with the horrors of being treated as a slave aboard the flagship. He would be better, in a way. He wouldn't wake up screaming whenever he had the nightmares.

Terezi shook her head. "I guess it's all in the past now. Just like our careers with the Empire."

"Do you regret leavin'? Vris said you were a high-level legislacerator."

"I was. But this was more important."

"More important than the law?" Eridan teased. "Wow, Ter, you've changed."

She shrugged. "Like I said, this  _was_  more important. I mean, the  _rebellion_  is important, yes, but…" Her eyes, unseeing as they were, flickered in Karkat's direction. "…But there were other reasons."

He remembered, of course, the clusterfuck that had become Karkat's relationship with Terezi. Just thinking about Karkat going red for  _her_ instead of him made his stomach twist. "Are you, uh…hopin' to get in a quadrant with him?"

A soft laugh, flipping between amused and wistful. "No, I think that ship has sailed."

"Ha!" Vriska snickered, eyes still closed. "Good one."

Terezi batted her with a smirk. "I'm not going to lie, Eridan—there was a part of me that really hoped when I heard that mister candy apple wasn't dead." She didn't say what she'd hoped for. She didn't need to. "But then I got back here, saw you and Sollux and Gamzee, and…" A shrug. "I don't know. I guess it finally sank in that it was over. He moved on."

A tiny flash of pity seared through him. "Ter…"

"Don't you dare say you're sorry!" she ordered. "Karkat and I…we went through every quadrant in the book at one point or another. For a while there I honestly thought he didn't want me in any one quadrant, and that he was just looking to shove me into every single one! I won't lie—when I heard that he was dead, that there would never be a chance to set things right after our rather rude parting, I was pretty torn up. I guess there was always a part of me that wanted him for myself, and all of the sudden I wasn't ever going to be able to have him. So when I heard he was alive… Well. I don't need to say that I wished things wouldn't have changed, or that they would have changed just enough for the two of us to work. It's obvious that he has no interest in me anymore, though. You've ruined him!"

"Hey, I—!"

Now it was his turn to be swatted. "Shush! You ruined him, Eridan, but he seems happy now. If I'm being a good person, I should say that his happiness is all I wish for."

"And…if you're  _not_  bein' a good person?"

"Well…" She leaned forward and flashed her teeth. "If I'm not, then let's just say that in the unlikely event of your death, I'm not going to pretend I don't care for him. Understand?"

He gave a stiff nod. It was almost comforting to know that Terezi would make sure nothing happened to Karkat if he died. Of course, she'd have to fight Sollux and Gamzee and Kanaya and everyone  _else_ prepared to take a culling fork for Karkat's sake, but still. The more the better.

"Oh, and would you look at that! Karkat's waking up."

_"What?"_  he yelped. He spun back around to face his matesprit, only to see that there was no change. "He looks the same!"

"Well he doesn't  _smell_  the same! His heart rate's picking up."

He would have loved to check, but his hands were still bound. "Really?"

"Just wait, fins. A little more time, and…there he goes!"

As if on cue, Karkat spluttered to life.

"Holy shit—Kar, you're up!"

Karkat just choked, coughing like his life depended on it as he worked through the process of bringing himself back to the waking world. He'd only been out for around five hours, but it had felt like forever. His eyes were still shiny with fever. He wasn't out of the woods just yet.

Vriska cracked an eye when she heard the coughing. "Nubs? Feel like killing anyone?"

The mutant hacked like he was about to pass out again. Once, twice, three more times, and then he was collapsing back against the pillows with this exhausted look on his face that made Eridan's chest tighten. "O-oh god," he rasped, "I feel like I'm dying."

Oh man, he  _really_ wanted to touch him. But he couldn't, so he settled for asking, "Kar, are you okay? You're not goin' to kill Sol, are you?"

Karkat groaned. "God no."

"Do you…remember anything?"

He squeezed his eyes shut, and Eridan knew that the answer was yes. "I'm still putting it all together. Eridan, did I really try to kill…?"

The seadweller jerked his head away guiltily. Karkat didn't  _deserve_  this! He didn't deserve to feel the pain and betrayal that would come with knowing that he'd brought serious harm to his own kismesis.

Karkat seemed to take his silence as confirmation. His expression twisted, eyes filling with pain.  _"Oh god…"_

Eridan tugged at the cuffs unthinkingly in his desire to comfort his matesprit. "It's not your fault," he whispered. "It wasn't  _you."_

"Easy for you to say," he laughed hysterically. "You weren't the one that fucking  _stabbed…_ " He trailed off to retch over the side of the bed. Nothing came up. "Oh, fuck…"

He needed Gamzee. Eridan searched for the clown and found him already on his feet despite Tavros's protests, stumbling for the cot Karkat was lying upon. His face looked mostly better. Or at least, as better as it was going to get. He'd have scars.

"G-Gamzee…?" Karkat rasped. He reached for him desperately

"Shh, brother, it's okay, I've got you," was the answering shoosh. Gamzee crashed into his moirail like a wave, digging his fingers into his back, pressing his cheek to his shoulder and being careful not to snag his horns. "Shoosh, Karbro, there's nothing to worry about. No one blames you."

"Fuck," Karkat choked again. "Oh god, Gamzee, I fucking killed him!"

"No you didn't, brother. Shoosh.  _Shoosh._ Solbro's gonna be fine."

Karkat just clung tighter. " _Gamzee._ H-how…how could I just…?"

"It was  _not_ you. You gotta understand that, brother, here and now.  _That was not you._  You didn't have any kind of choice in the matter, so you aren't the one that did it. If you're up and preparin' to blame anyone, blame the Condesce."

"The  _Condesce."_  He said it like a curse. " _Fuck_. She just…she got into my head and—!"

"Shoosh, Karbro. I know. We all know."

A dry, choking sob met Eridan's ears. It made his fins draw tight against the sides of his face in shame. This was  _his_ fault, not Karkat's. He'd been the one to take him to the Condesce to be  _brainwashed._

Kanaya cleared her throat politely from the corner. "Gamzee? Maybe you should take him back to your room. Your wounds are as good as they're going to get, and Karkat's fever is low enough for him to leave."

"You got it, sister," Gamzee said. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on that wicked fever of his."

"Yes, see that you do."

Eridan almost said something, as Gamzee lifted Karkat and turned to get him away from prying eyes, to somewhere where he'd feel safe. He almost wanted to protest that Karkat was being taken away from him again. But…Karkat  _needed_ this. Needed his moirail. If anyone could talk him down from the edge after the events of the past few days, it was Gamzee. So he sat there, silent beyond a light whine, as his matesprit was scooped up and cradled tight, carried from the room by a troll nearly twice his size.

There was a soft bump at his arm. Terezi. "Don't worry. You did good."

He snorted. "You, comforting me? What is this, the end of the world?"

"With the way things are going? Very well could be."

Eridan winced. He knew that Terezi and Kanaya and Vriska and just about everyone else were running around struggling to keep the rebels under control while they tried to help Karkat. He didn't know much about what was going on outside the base, but he'd heard that things were bad and only getting worse. Apparently there were factions developing, some believing that Karkat was justified, that he'd harmed Sollux for a reason, and others believing that he should be removed from power. Tensions were rising. Without Karkat and Sollux, things were just…falling apart.

"Eridan," Kanaya said, drawing him back to the present, "would you consent to being bound here until tomorrow morning? I don't think we'll be making any progress in examining your mind tonight, seeing as Vriska is exhausted and I'm sure Karkat will want to be here in the event that anything is found, and returning you to your cell just seems pointless. We'll conduct the examination here, once Karkat is ready to return."

He shrugged. What did it matter? He'd be bound either way. "Sure, Kan, do whatever you feel is necessary. I just hope Kar and Sol are okay."

Kanaya cast a worried gaze back in the psionic's direction. "Sollux's condition is still unchanged. His fever hasn't worsened, and his wounds don't show any sign of infection, but he still isn't getting any better. The healers are sealing him up more and more every day, of course, but other than that we're seeing none of his body's attempts to heal itself. Right now, we're just not sure."

"God…I'm sorry, Kan. If I'd noticed Karkat was up to somethin' a few moments sooner…if I'd helped him escape before he got to the flagship…"

The jadeblood's expression lessened in severity. "Shoosh, you." A few fingers batted against his shoulder. "None of us could have foreseen what happened here. You can call it your fault for taking Karkat to the Condesce, and maybe it is, but don't be so quick to judge until Vriska takes a peek inside your head."

"What're you suggestin'?"

"I'm suggesting, Eridan, that the Condesce seems to have a nasty habit of manipulating people. She's kept this power a secret from her own lackeys by ordering them to wipe every order she gives them from their conscious mind, so why not you?"

"You think she…?"

"I'm not saying I think anything. Just…don't beat yourself up until we know the full truth. Deal?"

That…actually made him feel a whole lot better. "Deal."

She patted him again on the shoulder. "I'm going to take care of a few other things. Whoever leaves last will cuff you to the bed, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks, Kan."

One more pat. Then Kanaya was leaving, slipping through the door without so much as another word, and Eridan was left alone.

_She might make a good auspice,_ he thought.  _If Sol lives and she's willin', we might be able to use her._ That was assuming Sollux  _did_ wake up, though. And right now, that was still in question.

_Come on, Sol…we're all waitin' on you out here. Don't let us down._

 

* * *

 

Karkat's entire world was reduced down to that moment. That single moment, when suddenly he'd felt his control slip away, had felt his own body moving against his will while he was shoved down into the darkest corner of his head. By the time he'd thought to fight, it had been over. It had been over, and some dark, painful part of his mind was telling him to shut down, so he did. Trying to think hurt.  _Everything_ hurt. He could barely breathe.

He had tried to kill Sollux. He might still accomplish that goal.

"Karbro," Gamzee whispered against his throat. All hints of humor had long since faded from his face. His  _fucking_  face, on which Karkat had torn jagged lines with his own claws. He'd scarred his own moirail.  _Fuck._ How was he supposed to live with this? Would Gamzee want him anymore? Would Eridan? Sollux, if he lived?

" _Karbro_ ," Gamzee said again, no doubt hearing the thoughts racing beneath his skin. "Brother, you gotta calm down! Come on, look at me…right in the eyes, you can do it…"

_He doesn't want me. How could anyone want me after this? I've betrayed them all._

"Karkat! Motherfucking look at me!"

He clung as tight as he could. Gamzee still had him wrapped up in a tangle of arms and legs, but Karkat knew that at any moment he would be pushed off and left for dead. Maybe he'd be publicly executed like his ancestor. Would they find Equius to do it, just to spite him?

_"Karkat…"_ Gamzee was pushing him back. Gamzee was fucking  _pushing him back,_ flattening him to the pile of blankets and horns and spare t-shirts beneath them. Was he going to walk out on him? Was he going to kill him for what he'd done? Was he going to—?

_…Oh._

Karkat choked out a surprised sound as Gamzee patted at both cheeks again, then again, using the firmest touch he'd ever felt from him. Papping him with everything he had, despite the distracting pain he was no doubt feeling in his face. The pain that Karkat had caused him.

"Brother, get out of your own head!" Another pat at his cheek. "It isn't your fault. No one blames you!"

That wasn't true. How could that be true?"

"Shoosh…it's okay, brother, it's okay. I pity the shit out of you and that's not gonna change no matter what."

Lies.

Fingers slid into his hair and thumbed at the bases of his horns. Not quite daring to squeeze, but just hinting at it. "Karbro. What are you motherfucking worried about?"

_That you'll leave me. That everyone will leave me because of what I've done._

Again, Gamzee plucked the thoughts straight out of his head. He was a great moirail. He didn't deserve him. "Okay," he whispered. "Okay, best friend, I get it. You're afraid, right? You're  _so_ motherfucking afraid that we're going to blame you for what you did, that everyone's going to leave you. But brother, that's  _not_ going to motherfucking happen. Eribro loves you more than I've ever seen a troll love another troll, and I feel the same way. The fact that the Condesce ripped your brain right out of your head and messed with it all cruel-like doesn't mean we care about you any less. It wasn't your fault, Karbro. It  _wasn't_."

"I-I don't deserve you," he choked out. "Fuck, Gamzee, I…"

"Shoosh. Motherfucking  _shoosh._  I'm not gonna let anything else happen to you." A pair of lips pressed to his forehead, then his cheeks, his nose, his jaw. Light and pale. Fingers skirted down his sides comfortingly. Gamzee was doing  _everything_ in his power to shoosh him, so why wasn't it working? Why did he still feel so awful?

Gamzee made this low, awful sound that made Karkat's entire body seize with pity. "Karkat…"

He held tighter. "I hurt you."

"No, Karbro, no you didn't. It's fine."

"Gamzee, your  _face."_

"I don't mind none. Makes me look fierce, doesn't it?"

For the first time Karkat managed to draw just a little away from his moirail. He unhooked his claws from the fabric of his shirt and reached up to the three lines that  _he'd_  created down Gamzee's face. They were still tender, clearly healed by a troll without a lot of skill, and he was sure to trace them with the upmost of care. It must have hurt, but Gamzee didn't so much as flinch.

_I did that. I clawed him up while he was just trying to_ help  _me._

"You weren't in your right mind," Gamzee soothed. "If you're fixin' to blame anyone, blame the Condesce. Like I said."

"I should have been strong enough to  _fight_ her!"

"No way to fight something you don't even remember, brother. It ain't your doing."

His retort died in his throat. Maybe…was he right? But no, he still should have been able to do  _something!_

"Solbro will be in stable condition soon enough," Gamzee assured him, using just the pads of his fingers rub circles into the flesh beneath his eyes. "And I know he ain't gonna blame you for any of this either. He'll understand more than anyone that your mind wasn't your own."

That…was true. Sollux would remember the pain of being forced to kill a friend. A quadrantmate, even. Still, could he really be forgiven? He'd still allowed so much to happen. He may have singlehandedly killed the rebellion. "What about the rebels?"

"Well…I ain't about to lie to you, brother, they're real scared about this whole situation. Apparently there's a lot of motherfucking chaos in the main cities. But once Solbro gets back on his feet and you're well enough to make an address, you can explain what happened."

"Explain what, that I was so weak that I let the Condesce puppet me around? Yeah, I'm sure they'll take that well."

"You can do it, Karbro. You're the best at giving those wicked motherfucking speeches."

Uncertainty flared through him. "Do you really think I should keep leading the rebellion? Really? Gamzee, I tried to fucking kill Sollux! What if there's more, orders that are hidden so deep that not even Vriska can see them? What if I'm just going to betray you again?"

"You know that's nonsense. Vriska is the best motherfucking psychic there is, and she thumbed through every inch of that miraculous head of yours. If there was something there, she would have found it. And besides, Feferi ordered you to forget every command the Condesce gave you. There ain't a thing left in there that isn't made of your own thoughts."

"C-can I really be sure of that, though?"

Gamzee's palms pressed flat against his cheeks. "Yes. You can." And maybe it wasn't true, but just the certainty of his words made Karkat feel a little better. It was still his fault. He didn't know if he'd ever believe that it wasn't. But maybe, just for a few minutes, he could pretend that Sollux was still okay and Gamzee's face wasn't scarred in three places, and he hadn't been taken over by a tyrian about a hundred times his age.

"Come here," Gamzee urged, even though Karkat was practically melted into him already. "Brother, you have to believe me when I say that you could tear me apart bit by bit and I'd still be pale as quartz for you. Nothing's gonna change that."

"P-promise…?"

"Karbro, there ain't nothing in this world that will make me leave you."

"What if I hurt you again? I fucking  _scarred_  you, and you're still just going to sit here and wait for it to happen again?"

"If I hurt you, would you still pity me?"

He blinked. Frowned. If he was being honest with himself, then…yes, he would. He thought Gamzee could probably tear him limb from limb and paint a mural in his blood and he wouldn't be able to raise a hand against him.

"That's what I thought," Gamzee rumbled, satisfied. "Now flip that the motherfuck around, and you've got the reason I'm never leaving you."

"Gamzee…"

Gamzee offered him a loving smile. A soft, deep purr was starting up in his chest, this comforting throb of a sound that rumbled through Karkat's body and soothed the tension in his bones. The sound only intensified as time went on. Gamzee's fingers were back on his cheeks, too, rubbing circles with renewed vigor as if he  _knew_ that his efforts were finally working.

A soft kiss pressed to his lips. "Pity you, Karbro."

Karkat let his head drop to his moirail's shoulder with a defeated little chirp. "I pity you too, you tremendous wreck."  _Even if I don't deserve to. Even if I'll never let myself forget that this was my fault._

"That's it, just lean on me for a while. I've got you."

"I…" He swallowed hard. "I know you do."

 

* * *

 

The next thing Karkat knew, he was waking up in a pool of green slime with a troll twice his size wrapped tight around him. He didn't remember much of the previous night, not after his conversation with Gamzee. There had been the feeling of security, arms locked tight around him, a purr rumbling through his chest, then nothing. He'd fallen asleep, and apparently Gamzee had taken it upon himself to dump the two of them into his recuperacoon for the night.

_Shit…_ Karkat pushed up a little until his head broke the surface of the slime. Gamzee grumbled something behind him and clutched tighter around his chest.  _I can't believe all that actually happened. I actually tried to kill Sollux, and I clawed Gamzee right down the face. And…not only that, but Gamzee is still willing to keep me as a moirail. Eridan didn't seem upset either. They believe that the Condesce is the only one to blame, but I know that it only happened because I wasn't strong enough to fight her off. I should have been able to do something_. _Anything. It's my own fucking head! If I couldn't tell something was wrong before, who's to say there's not something wrong now? I just—_

Gamzee made a soft noise against the back of his neck. "Karbro, you up?"

He hummed an affirmative. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

"No, I've been awake for hours. Just gettin' my wait on for you to come back." He sounded a lot more normal compared to the previous night. "Didn't want to get you up until you were ready."

"Hmm…" Karkat leaned back into his moirail's chest. There were still so many things churning beneath the surface, so many insecurities and fears gripping tight to the inside of his skin, but he wouldn't worry Gamzee with them now. He needed to be strong.  _If I could survive Rohdan, I can survive this._

"Ready to get up?" Gamzee questioned in this soft, gentle lilt. "I'm sure Eribro would appreciate you being there while he's having his head poked at."

_That's right…_ He'd forgotten in all the chaos that Eridan was strapped down in the infirmary, waiting to be cleared of any potential orders given to him by the Condesce.  _Fuck, my matesprit is tied up in there while I'm here cuddling my moirail. What the fuck kind of a quadrantmate am I? I'm the worst. Why do they even want me?_

"Aww, Karbro," Gamzee murmured, "none of that. Let's just get into the shower, okay? We can take a trip down and see if Vriska is ready to help Eribro out."

He nodded. The sooner he could start to atone, the better. He let Gamzee pull him out of the sopor and out into the bathroom, dripping slime the whole way there. A good pool of the stuff formed beneath the two of them as they waited for the shower to heat up.

Showering was quick, and a little bittersweet. Karkat couldn't help but remember the last time he'd gotten to bathe with his moirail, back before he'd known that Sollux was leading a rebellion, back before he'd realized that being captured was even a possibility. The way Gamzee scraped drying slime off his back was almost nostalgic.

_I hope we all live through this. I think I'm just now realizing that it's all actually going to happen. The Condesce should be on her way here by now, and it sounds like the outside world is being plagued by utter chaos. I thought…did I hear someone mention factions? Like, some people supporting me and others supporting Sollux? Oh god…if Sollux doesn't wake up, I'm not sure I can get his followers to listen to me. I don't think I could even look Feferi and Aradia in the eyes, let alone all the rebels who love him so dearly. We can't do this if we're divided. But the Condesce knew that, didn't she? She only let us build ourselves up so she could draw all the traitors out into the open, knowing that I would ruin everything at the last moment so she could kill us all._

It wasn't all bad, though. It sounded like the Condesce hadn't planned for her ship to be hampered by Vriska, so they at least had a little more time. If Vriska hadn't done whatever she had to make sure the ship's batteries went out, the Condesce would have arrived right after Karkat turned on Sollux and tried to kill him. She would have arrived at the exact moment when winning wouldn't have been much of a challenge for her. So maybe, with what time they had left, they could manage to pull themselves at least partially back from the edge.

But not without Sollux.

The next half hour passed in silence. The two of them finished washing up, then Karkat found himself wrapped in a towel and dumped on the closed lid of the toilet so Gamzee could tug a bedraggled comb through his hair. Karkat didn't miss the irony of the situation. Normally he was the one taking care of Gamzee, picking him up off the floor and untangling his sopor-crusted hair, dressing him up after his clothing melted into a ball of gloppy green goop and shoving him back out into the real world. Now, it was the opposite.

A few minutes later he was sitting as still as he could while his moirail pulled a clean sweater over his head and slotted him into a pair of pants that fit about two sizes too large, if not more. Gamzee's clothes. The sweater had his symbol on it. Somehow, just running his fingers over the indigo threads made him feel infinitely better.

"Let's get going," Gamzee urged with upmost gentleness. A long, lanky arm hooked around his shoulders and guided him towards the door, and Karkat realized that Gamzee wasn't planning on letting him go anytime soon. That…was okay with him, actually. He probably needed the contact. So he let himself be tucked close to his moirail's side, huddled as close as he could with his horns shoved right up against the indigoblood's chest, and just closed his eyes as he was steered back towards the infirmary. He hoped Vriska would make sure the Condesce hadn't left anything behind again. Even if she'd said he was clear yesterday, he wasn't convinced.

His eyes finally opened again when he heard a familiar voice chirp, "Karkat! You're awake! How are you feeling?"

Gamzee answered before he had the chance. "Still shaky, sister. Be careful with him."

Kanaya stepped back immediately. "Oh, of course—forgive me, I didn't realize."

"Is Vriska around?" Gamzee pressed. "Ready to take a look into Eribro's head?"

Kanaya nodded to the other end of the infirmary, where Vriska was leaning against the wall snarling at Eridan, Terezi cackling and swatting the seadweller with her cane while he was helpless to escape. Kanaya's eyes narrowed the instant she saw it. "Terezi! Haven't I told you to stop that at least twenty times in the past hour?"

Terezi leapt away in a misguided attempt to play innocent. "Who, me? I haven't touched him!"

Kanaya growled. Then, "Karkat and Gamzee are here, as you can see, so I would very much appreciate it if you would back off and allow Vriska to work!"

Vriska stopped mid-sneer, saying, "Oh, is it time to do this already?"

"In a moment, yes. But I think that Karkat may wish to exchange words with his matesprit before anything drastic has to happen."

Karkat gulped. That…didn't sound good. But Gamzee was already urging him along, leaving no room for argument, and soon enough Karkat was being pushed just a step forward to stand in front of his matesprit.

Eridan blinked up at him owlishly. One of his wrists was cuffed slightly above his head, attached to a bedpost, but other than that he looked relatively well. At least he hadn't been mistreated, blamed for Karkat's brainwashing.

"Hey," Karkat said awkwardly. He wasn't really sure what to say. It was his fault that Eridan was tied up. Should he…apologize?

Eridan's expression went soft and pained. "Hey," he repeated. "I'm…glad you're back on your feet."

"Um, yeah…" He shuffled his feet. "Look, Eridan, I'm sorry about all this. It's my fault you got yourself locked up, and I should have been able to stop the Condesce from—"

_"Your_ fault?" the seadweller yelped. Then he blushed, realizing he'd interrupted. "I mean…Kar, don't get me wrong, but I think it's pretty obvious that you're the last person that should be blamed for this.  _I'm_ the one that delivered you to the Condesce to be brainwashed, in case you've forgotten! If you're blamin' anyone, it should be me."

It wasn't as if Karkat hadn't considered the same thing. But when it came right down to it, he couldn't accept it. "I was the one that wasn't strong enough to fight the Condesce. I'm the one that fucking  _stabbed_ Sollux right through the chest."

"You wouldn't have _had_ to fight her if I'd just listened to you when I had the chance and stayed here with you! It's my fault!"

Karkat opened his mouth to snap out a retort, but a hand smooshed against his face in a frustrated gesture before he could get going. Vriska was standing between them. "You're both idiots," she growled. "Yeah, if Eridan hadn't taken you to the Condesce you never would have tried to kill Sollux, but why stop there? If Sollux hadn't hidden a whole bunch of shit from you about the rebellion, you never would have been captured by Eridan, who never would have taken you to the Condesce, who never would have ordered you to make an attempt on Captor's life."

"But—!"

"Oh no, I'm not done! If Sgrub hadn't glitched out and wiped our session, Sollux never would have needed to rebel! If whatever bullshit aliens in whatever bullshit dimension they live in hadn't messed up in their own session, our game never would have glitched! If Sollux hadn't coded the game in the first place, we never would have played it!" Vriska rounded on Eridan with a nasty sneer. "My point is, we can go around in circles blaming each other for as long as we want, but that doesn't change the fact that the game  _was_ created, the game  _did_ glitch, we  _did_ end up in this nightmare, and now we're having to deal with all of the shitty consequences! So before we all end up killing each other, let's get the fuck over ourselves!"

Karkat stared in shock. His mind was reeling, but…Vriska had a point.

"Now look each other dead in the eyes and admit that this wasn't either of your faults, and we'll move on!"

Eridan shot Karkat a nervous look out of the corner of his eye. "Um…Kar?"

He took a deep breath. "This wasn't your fault."

Another glance. "No, uh…this wasn't your fault either."

Vriska threw up a hand. "Great! Now if you'll kindly settle yourselves down, we can get this over with. I'm still tired from yesterday, so let's make this quick."

Karkat thunked back into a chair without having consciously moved. Gamzee was at his side in an instant like some kind of protective shadow, Kanaya and Terezi joining shortly after. The others were nowhere to be seen. Probably exhausted from a late-night vigil at Sollux's side.

Vriska turned her gaze on Eridan. "Sit still," she advised. "I'm going to be as thorough as I can, so it might pinch a little."

Eridan dipped his head. "Whatever you have to do, Vris. Just…make sure I'm not goin' to hurt anyone."

"That I can do." Vriska leaned over him. One hand settled to his forehead, the other to his chest, and she closed her eyes.

Soon, they would know.

 

* * *

 

Eridan had never had someone inside his head before. Not anyone that he remembered, at least. So when he felt an unfamiliar presence pushing at the edges of his mind, his first instinct was to push back with all his strength.

_No,_ he reminded himself as that cerulean essence tried to worm its way into his head.  _I have to let it in. It's just tryin' to help._  There was one more shove, and the swirls of blue surged into his mind all at once.

It…was stranger than he'd been expecting. Like having something lodged in his throat, almost. It was there, he could feel it, knew it didn't belong, but pushing it out just wasn't possible. He had to invite it further in, let it permeate him, saturate his entire being.

The presence poked at his mind. First one part, then another, working its way methodically through him. He wasn't sure what exactly it was testing for, but evidently it wasn't finding it. Why was it…?

Something jolted through him. A weird sort of pain, deep and wrenching.  _No,_ his body sang,  _don't touch there, get away, you're not supposed to know about that._ But the presence just paused for a moment, as if thinking, and did it again. Eridan gasped.

"Oh no…" Vriska's voice was quiet.

"What?" Karkat snapped. "What's  _oh no?_ What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"Shoosh, Karbro," Gamzee murmured. "Let her work."

Vriska was poking at that spot again. That place deep in his mind that was just a question mark to him, somewhere walled off. Every jab hurt.

"Come on, fishface," Vriska murmured, "let me in."

_I'm trying._

That wasn't good enough, though. There was another jab at his mind, and something cracked. Crumbled. There was a wall there, yes, blocking some part of himself away, but it was weak. Old. Every nudge hurt like hell, though, and by the time Vriska had a few good cracks in the thing he was choking back involuntary tears.

_Something's here,_ Vriska thought, and Eridan  _heard_ it.  _There's something walled up here, pushed away in the back of your psyche. In your subconscious, even._

Eridan's heart leapt.  _Do you think…the Condesce…?_

_I'm not sure what I think. Just give me a minute._

A few more pokes. More crumbling. Then one, good shove, the sound of something cracking and ringing in his ears, and suddenly everything was  _pink._

"Found it," Vriska growled.

_Found what?_ His head was spinning with fuchsia, strange words and sensations and flickers of confusion, but he didn't know what it meant. He couldn't pull the words together to form complete sentences. There was something there, yes, but what was it? If Vriska would just put the pieces together…

_I'm going to give you an order, fins._

Eridan shook his head. There was a voice, but it wasn't Vriska's. It almost sounded like…

Something twisted deep in his head. He  _felt_ Vriska grabbing onto it and yanking with all her strength, pulling and tugging in different directions, until just like that…

Everything clicked into place.

He wanted to say something. There were new thoughts and memories coursing through him at an alarming speed, his entire life since he'd left Alternia just shifting and rippling as forgotten pieces finally slotted into place.

_Oh god, no…the Condesce…_

Vriska's touch disappeared from his mind without so much as a sound. "It's done."

"What's done?" Karkat demanded. "Eridan? Are you okay?"

He stared blankly up at the ceiling.  _Oh my god, is this for real? Did all of that really happen? Did the Condesce really just make me forget?_  The memories were still coming, too, rushing into his head and cresting over even the hardest parts of his mind to reach. There were so many orders.  _So many._  How had he forgotten?

"Vriska, what's happening?" Karkat sounded scared.

"Well…" Vriska shook her head, looking almost disturbed. "The good news is, we won't need Feferi to break him of an existing order. The Condesce hasn't told him to do anything to hurt the rebellion or anyone around him, and it looks like the single lasting order she gave has long since frayed and crumbled away."

"So he  _was_  ordered to do something?" Kanaya asked.

Vriska huffed out an overwhelmed breath. "He's been ordered to do  _everything._  It seems like every time there was a battle, every time  _anything_ was happening, the Condesce would order him around to make sure he didn't go against her orders. It seems that she never trusted him, and used her powers to make sure she was never betrayed."

"But he  _did_ betray her!" Karkat snapped. "That is, unless he's just waiting to turn on all of us!"

"No, just…fuck!" The blueblood gave a helpless gesture of confusion. "There's just…there's a lot of shit in there, a lot of faded orders, and it's hard to put everything together. It seems like most of the orders he was given were extremely specific. Like, go to this place, execute this plan, come home when you're done. She was just covering all her bases; I wouldn't be surprised if most of the trolls who came into contact with her have a few residual orders floating around in their heads."

"So there's nothing major, then?"

"Well…I wouldn't say that."

Karkat's eyes narrowed to slits. "Serket…"

"There are two orders that I think are of interest to us. The first one is one that every Vice Admiral probably gets right off the bat—to never betray the Condesce."

"But—!"

"Just let me  _explain!_  From what I can tell, he was ordered not to disobey or betray the Condesce in any way back when he first became Vice Admiral, four sweeps ago. Looking at the order now, though, it feels really cracked and crumbled, like time wore it down to nothing. It was probably effective at first, but Eridan's blood and his stubbornness must have chipped away at it bit by bit subconsciously until it was just reduced to nothing."

Kanaya frowned. "Can you tell when the order fully dissipated? It might be useful information to have on hand."

"Yeah, actually." She glanced over to Karkat warily. "It seems to have fully disintegrated about the same time I punched him in the head and chucked him into his own ship with Karkat."

Karkat choked on a breath. Whispered, "So…that whole time, up until we got back to Alternia…he was…?"

"He was still suffering from the residual desire to serve the Condesce, yes. If it's not too bold of me to suggest, I'd say that that's probably why he took you to the flagship in the first place, despite his obvious conflict. There was still a part of him deep, deep down in his subconscious that  _needed_  to serve her. But the instant it faded, he came here with no regrets."

That wasn't all, though. It was true, Eridan could feel it, but there was one last order tickling at the back of his mind. One last revelation, stealing his breath and leaving him practically panting as he tried to come to terms with the fact that  _so much_ of his life in the past four sweeps had been forgotten. That the Condesce had  _ordered_ him to forget.  _Fuck, Kar, what will you think? This…changes everythin'._

"So he's completely safe to trust now," Kanaya summarized.

"Yes. He is. If there's one thing I saw written all over his mind, it was the desire to serve the rebellion."

Kanaya breathed a sigh of relief, but Karkat didn't look happy. "You said there were two major orders. What's the other one?"

Vriska shot Eridan an uncomfortable glance. "I think maybe he should tell you in private."

_Thank you,_ Eridan thought, even as Karkat's eyebrows shot up. "What the fuck? Is it that bad?"

"Not bad, just…it really only pertains to the two of you, so I don't think anyone else needs to know."

That just made Karkat look more worried. Luckily Gamzee was there, soothing a hand across his back and purring something into his ear.

"Well, then," Kanaya said briskly. "I suppose we should leave the two of you alone to talk."

Vriska stepped away immediately. "Yeah. Let's get out of here before they start making out."

"What?" Karkat squawked. "So it's a good thing? It's not a disastrous order that's going to fucking ruin us? It's—"

Gamzee patted him on the cheek. "Shoosh, brother. I'm going to wait right outside, so if you get upset just get your walk on and find me. Deal?"

Karkat stared in astonishment. "Um…deal, I guess."

"Key's on the table to get him out of those cuffs," Vriska said, already retreating towards the door. "Come find us when you're done, and we can talk about maybe getting the rebellion back on track in time for the Condesce's arrival in a few days."

Then she was gone, the others following in her wake, and Eridan was left with the weight of the knowledge that when he'd left Karkat all those years ago, it hadn't been of his own free will.


	39. Who We Want To Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karkat and Eridan have a talk, and the last members of the team arrive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, this is one of those chapters that I'm not quite happy with, but I've spent like five hours staring at word documents today and I have a headache so this is the best I'm going to be able to do. Hopefully you enjoy! We're getting very, very close to the end. 
> 
> This week's chapter is [ Who We Want To Be ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVomQtrtMTM&list=FLfOU6do0HHsXnPKzbSMXvYQ&index=2&t=0s) by Tom Day.

"Eridan?" Karkat asked shakily, stricken with the desire to touch him but kept away by the expression of horrified shock on his face. The seadweller was just staring at the blankets draped over his lap, eyes glazed over, lips slightly parted, fins flattened to his head. He almost looked like he was in some kind of stupor. "Eridan, are you…?"

He blinked up at Karkat. "Shit…sorry, Kar, I'm fine. Just tryin' to figure out how I'm supposed to explain all this."

"I can't imagine you'll have to explain much," Karkat said gruffly, though he was practically buzzing with nervousness. "Vriska already told us about all the little stuff, plus the fact that apparently you only hauled me off to the flagship because you were compelled to by the Condesce."

Eridan cringed. "Oh…"

 _"Oh?_  Why the fuck do you sound so disappointed? This is your chance to claim innocence for handing me over to the Condesce! This is your chance for you to apologize one last time and for me to forgive you, seeing as you never really had a chance to let me go! What are you waiting for?"

"I can't do that, Kar."

"What do you mean?"

Eridan tried his hardest not to look him in the eyes. "It's just…Vris said that the order to obey the Condesce was already fading by the time I found you again. If that's true, then I was still responsible for what I did. I should have been able to stop myself. And even if that wasn't the case, I can't just blame it all on the Condesce! The Condesce didn't order me to let Rohdan torture you. She didn't order me to leave you with the handlers. I'm still at fault here, no matter what, and I'm not lettin' you think I treated you the way I should have!"

_Oh, Eridan…_

"I'm not lettin' you forgive me," Eridan insisted, voice tight. "I still did awful things all of my own volition. So…when I tell you about that last order I was given, I don't want you to go to pieces."

Vriska had made it sound like it was good news, but now Karkat wasn't so sure. Eridan looked like he was about to throw up. "Eridan…?"

"It's still a little fuzzy," he admitted. "There were a lot of orders over the sweeps, a lot of things that the Condesce made me forget. But…one thing I do remember is the first order she ever gave me. Back before I even left Alternia the first time."

_What…?_

Eridan took in a single, deep breath. "A few weeks after my adult molt the Condesce decided it was time to recruit me as her new Vice Admiral, and as Dualscar's replacement. She came to Alternia herself to find me, and cornered me alone one night."

He'd known this. Even if Eridan hadn't told him exactly when it happened, he'd known. He never would have left Alternia unless the Empress herself came knocking.

"I thought I remembered exactly what happened," Eridan went on. "She asked me to come serve her, I begged her for a few more days, and she gave them to me. On the third night, when I was supposed to leave, I just got up and left you without so much as a goodbye. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to hurt you. But now that wall in my head is gone, I can remember everythin', and…" He trailed off with a wince.

Karkat reached out without a second thought, and before he knew it he was soothing a hand through Eridan's hair and murmuring, "It's okay. Just tell me."

A set of cool fingers curled around his own. "Apparently it went a little differently than that. When the Condesce came to speak with me, she just…she fuckin' ordered me to tell her  _everythin'_ about my life, wrung every last bit of information right out of me and made me spill everythin' about all my friends and quadrants and just my life in general."

Karkat blinked. "So she already knew about me? About my mutation and everything?"

"I told her everythin'. She knew you were my matesprit right from the beginnin', and I think that's why she never seemed to really trust me. I knew of two mutants hidin' out beneath the streets of Alternia, and I never turned them in to the military. I was already a traitor through her eyes, and I think her order for me to be loyal to her wasn't really supposed to last. I think from the very beginnin' she was probably just intendin' on usin' me and lettin' me die the instant I became too difficult to control. For a while her commands kept me in check, but then you came along again and she decided that it was time to use me to her advantage and let me go. That's why she let me help you escape, so we could end up here and you could try to kill Sol. But…I guess that's gettin' off track. When the Condesce came to me that night, she did three things. She ordered me to tell her everythin' about my life, she ordered me to remain loyal to her and only her, and…and when I asked for a little more time with you, she ordered me to leave you and everyone else behind without a single word. She forced me off Alternia without tellin' anyone I was leavin', and then made me forget everythin' about the conversation."

He…supposed he should probably be more surprised than he felt. After all, this should have changed everything. All this time he'd been furious with Eridan for leaving without so much as a farewell, for slipping away in the dead of night, and this should make all that better. He hadn't wanted to leave. If he could, he would have said goodbye.

"I think she wanted to create divides between me and my quadrants, my friends. I think she thought that if she forced me to abandon you without sayin' goodbye, you'd get mad enough that you'd never want to speak with me again. Maybe she thought it would make me more likely to serve her loyally, knowin' everyone I loved didn't want me anymore."

"I guess that's it, then," Karkat said, fighting past the waver in his voice. "You're excused. It wasn't your fault, none of it was."

Eridan shook his head. "That's the thing, though—I'm  _not_  excused. Because the truth is, I don't believe I would have told you even if I  _hadn't_ been ordered to leave without a word. I think I would have done the same thing, lettin' you hate me because I thought it would be easier for both of us to bear. So even if the Condesce ordered me to do it, I still would have reached the same conclusion on my own. Doesn't that make me responsible?"

Karkat let his eyes slide closed.  _Did_ it make him responsible? In the end, he guessed that it wasn't really possible to tell which decisions and thoughts had been fully Eridan's, and which had been influenced by the Condesce. Maybe even now, Eridan himself was couldn't fully tell them apart. "It's a question without an answer," he decided finally, needing to say something before Eridan worked himself into a panic. "I don't think anyone will ever really know who's to blame for each step of this disaster. But…for what it's worth, I put all that bullshit in our past behind me a long time ago. Quite frankly, I don't care. I mean, knowing the Condesce ordered you to leave in the dead of night  _should_  make me feel better, and knowing that you only took me to the flagship because you had to  _should_ help me forgive you entirely, but…it just  _doesn't_. There are too many issues. Too many blank spots, leaps in logic, confusing jumbles where neither of us are sure if you were acting of your own volition or because the Condesce had you between her claws. So…" He drew back, only to reach a hand out a moment later. "I propose that we just forget it."

"What?" Eridan yelped. "Forget it? Kar, are you crazy? We've been through so much bullshit, and I've caused you so much pain, and—!"

"And I fucking  _stabbed_ my own kismesis, and scarred my moirail, and singlehandedly turned the rebellion into a fractured mess. We've both done things we can't be forgiven for, even if the Condesce was pulling the strings."

Eridan's expression crumpled. "Kar…"

"I know," he soothed. "But if we want to fix the rebellion, win this war, and make sure the Condesce pays for what she's done, we can't dwell on the past. Vriska says there aren't any residual orders in either of our heads, so we won't be hurting our friends any more. Anything I say to you, or you do to me, will entirely be our own faults. So with that being said, the solution seems obvious—we need to put all this behind us and just…start over."

Eridan laughed, but it was dry and pained. "I thought we already tried to do that."

"For real this time." Karkat shoved his hand further out, waiting for Eridan to take it. "It's like I said—neither of us are ever going to forgive ourselves or each other fully. But under the circumstances, I think it would be best to pretend."

"Pretend…and try to patch the rebellion back together? Win the war?"

"Yes. Exactly." Karkat looked over to where Sollux was stretched out. His fever had gone down a bit, but hadn't broken entirely in the night. At the very least he didn't seem on the verge of death, and the healers were beginning to believe that he'd actually recover. "Win the war. If that's even possible anymore, with the Condesce mere days away and the outside world splintered into opposing factions."

"They just need you and Sol to pull them back together. Once he wakes up, the two of you can give an address together and let everyone know what happened."

"And you really think we can tell them the truth?" Karkat asked. "You think they'll be eager to follow us again once they find out that the Condesce was using me as a puppet? The trolls who want to side with Sollux will probably refuse to recognize me as a leader, and that will piss off the trolls that still want to support me, which will make things even worse."

"Then we won't tell them that you were being used by the Condesce."

Karkat shook his head. "What else can we tell them? Just…a lie?"

"Exactly." Finally, there were cool fingers twining with his. Eridan leaned up, and Karkat pulled him into a sitting position to drape his legs over the edge of the bed. "Tell them that an Empire sympathizer in the crowd took control of you and made you stab Sol. Say that they were found and eliminated, and have Vris wave her cutlass around and declare that she's put up a permanent psychic shield around trolls of importance to the rebellion."

"And you don't think the rebels will be scared that a psychic could take control of  _them_  at any moment without some kind of protection?"

"Tell them they're safe from psychic attack. You won't have to give proof if you spin it right, just assure them that you're certain they're not going to be controlled against their will. They'll believe you. And if not you, then Sollux. Make it sound like you have some kind of plan in the works that's helpin' everyone."

"That…isn't a bad idea, actually." One more tug and Eridan was on his feet, wobbling a little after lying still for so long. "Shit, Eridan, do you think that'll actually work?"

"It's worth a shot. We have to do somethin', and this seems like the best option. I guess we'll find out what Sol thinks when he wakes up."

"Right…" Karkat tried not to look back over at his kismesis. Eridan and Gamzee were willing to forgive him, but…what about him? What about Sollux? What if the psionic's hate morphed from romantic to platonic, intensified until they could barely handle a conversation? He wasn't sure what he'd do if that happened. He didn't want to lose a quadrant. He didn't want to lose  _Sollux._

Eridan reached for him without a word. "Kar, it's okay. The two of you have been through too much for him to ditch you now, just you wait. I heard the healers talkin', too, and they think he might actually wake up in a little while. Once he does, the two of you can address the rebels and pull them together in time to win this battle. It's all going to be okay. Now…" Eridan turned him toward the door and nudged him forward. "Do you want to go with Gamzee? It sounds like you may have a few more things to work out."

Karkat shook his head. "No. I mean, yes, we do, but…I think I want to be with you for a while, if that's okay.  _Is_  it…okay?"

The seadweller tugged him close with a grin. "Kar, you can hang around me whenever you want, for as long as you want. As far as I'm concerned, we're still makin' up for lost time."

A sigh of relief rippled through him. "Thank you. Seriously, Eridan, I…don't know what I would do without you."

"Honestly? You'd probably go about your life a lot happier."

Karkat batted him with an indignant snort. "Idiot, let's get out of here. There's not much we can do until Sollux wakes up."

"Aye aye, sir," Eridan agreed with a grin. "Let's go  _cuddle."_

_"Eridan!"_  
  


* * *

  


Everything hurt, and everything was  _warm._  Those were the first things Sollux realized when he felt the world start to blur into focus around him. The heat was almost unbearable. He wasn't sure where he was, what was going on, but he felt as if he'd been dumped into a pool of lava and left to cook. Sweat clung to every inch of his body.

 _Something happened to me,_ he remembered, but mostly his thoughts consisted of  _painfearblood_ and he couldn't quite put a name to what he'd been through. He'd been giving his speech, sat up on the balcony with Karkat and Eridan and Vriska standing behind him, and the whole world had been watching. He remembered that much. Then…then he'd tried to pass the mic to Karkat, who was supposed to give his portion of the speech, and…and what? Karkat's eyes had gone hazy, this soft, red nothingness, and then there had been three sharp bites of pain.

Then nothing.

_Did KK…stab me? What the fuck?_

Slowly, more and more details began to trickle back into his mind. There still wasn't much—the whole incident was kind of a blur—but he could recall with startling clarity the way Karkat had looked at him, dazed and confused, like he was watching as someone else used his body for their own means. He could still see the muted scarlet, gazing into his eyes with a blank sort of shock.

 _That wasn't KK. There's no way._ But what was the other explanation? Had some random asshole of a blueblood just reached into Karkat's head and taken control? And if that were true, why hadn't Vriska sensed it and stopped the whole disaster from happening? Something wasn't right here…

"Sollux."

He cringed as the voice lashed through his brain like a lick of fire, way louder than it should have been.  _Who the fuck is—?_

"Sollux, open your eyes."

Oh,  _great._ The one thing he didn't want to do.

"Sollux,  _now_."

A groan rumbled its way up from the center of his chest.  _Fine._ Slowly, he let his eyes crack just a little open. It was  _bright,_ which shouldn't have been much of a surprise, but it was the kind of bright that only came from lying beneath the Alternian sun. Practically blinding, especially to someone that had been unconscious for so long. It took a few good blinks to get the white blotches to start spotting out of his vision. And when he finally did…

Sollux wrinkled his nose in distaste.  _"_ Oh _._ It's  _you."_

The Helmsman sneered down at him. "Don't sound so disappointed. It's about time you ended up back here so I could lecture you."

Groaning, Sollux pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Great. I'm not dead, am I?"

"Nah, but you  _will_ be the second you make an attempt to take down the Condesce! What the actual fuck were you thinking? I  _told_ you that Karkat had to die, to become a martyr before the Condesce could find a way to use him against you! I  _told_ you! And what did you do? You did nothing! You let him and Eridan and Feferi and all the other traitors stay with you, and you've just barely managed not to die because of it!"

"Watch it," Sollux growled. "I don't know what happened with KK, but that was  _not—"_

"Wasn't him?" Mituna interrupted. "No, it wasn't! But that doesn't matter to the rebels who don't  _know_ it wasn't him, who are scrambling to pick sides in what is quickly becoming a radically polarized political debate! If you'd just let Karkat die a martyr when you'd had the chance, the Condesce never would have been able to use him to turn the rebels against themselves!"

Sollux's blood ran cold. "What do you mean the Condesce  _used_  him?"

"I  _mean,_ she turned him into a sleeper agent and set him on you like a wild dog! Gave him an order, made sure he couldn't disobey it, and purposefully let him escape back to you!"

_What? The Condesce…she somehow forced Karkat to betray me, even when we're all this distance apart? How the fuck did she manage that? Karkat is so loyal…he'd sooner be killed himself than hurt any of his quadrants._

The Helmsman shoved his face right up into Sollux's personal space. "You don't seem angry enough for the situation," he hissed. "Your kismesis tried to kill you. He almost succeeded. Even now, your body is struggling to shake the fever brought on by the severity of your wounds. So why aren't you furious? He nearly fucking  _killed_  you!"

The thought of blaming Karkat hadn't crossed his mind even for a moment. He  _knew_ Karkat. He knew that he'd sooner chop his own head off than hurt anyone he cared about, and that if he'd been driven to do something so drastic then he truly hadn't had a choice in the matter. In reality, he was more concerned with what  _Karkat_ would be thinking about the situation. The poor guy would probably be killing himself over what he'd done, without Sollux awake to offer him forgiveness. He was probably distraught.

Mituna's expression twisted furiously. "You're going to forgive him," he realized. "He shouldn't even be  _alive_ right now; he should have died in combat like I told you he was supposed to, and you're still just going to pretend like this is no big deal! Your precious rebellion is falling the fuck apart, Sollux, because of what he did! There are goddamn factions forming in the streets, and for as long as you and Karkat are out of the public eye, they're just getting more and more polarized! With the Condesce arriving in only a few days, I find it hard to believe that you'll have enough firepower to win. No…you'll end up just like us, defeated and captured, or killed if you're lucky. Your dancestors will be doomed to repeat the same frantic struggle, and maybe  _they'll_ be strong enough to realize what must be done. Maybe  _their_ Vantas will be strong enough to sacrifice himself before the rebellion crumbles beneath his feet. Maybe  _their_ Captor will be smart enough to slaughter all the  _traitors_  like Peixes and Makara and Ampora before they have a chance to wreak havoc!"

_No…is that really true? Have we already lost? All because Karkat…_

"You're a fool, Sollux Captor. If you'd listened to me, you could have  _won._  But here you are, letting the troll that should have died a martyr destroy everything you've worked for in the past four sweeps, and soon enough you'll be strung up in the Condesce's flagship."

"That's not true, I—!"

Mituna just pressed closer, teeth bared, eyes flashing. "You'll find out soon enough what it feels like to be kept alive for  _sweeps_ by only the touch of a power-hungry seatroll. What it feels like to be drained, day by day, drop by drop, until you're nothing more than a hollowed-out husk of a troll. You'll scream for days when you're first integrated. Did you know that? You'll scream but no one will come to help you, all because you refused to let Karkat die when you had the fucking  _chance_ , and—!"

_"Mituna!"_

But not from Sollux. Not from him. There was a new voice, one from behind him, and Sollux saw his ancestor look up above his head with an expression of pure shock. Then, in a soft, reverent tone…

"Signless."

Sollux stiffened like a board. Troll Jesus was standing right behind him.  _Right fucking behind him_. Had he spoken to Karkat yet? Why was he here? What was he doing?

"This has gone far enough," that voice went on, so like Karkat but so  _unlike_ him at the same time. It was eerie. "I can't sit back and let you do this anymore, Helmsman!"

The Helmsman narrowed his eyes, but it was with a weary sort of frustration rather than full-blown anger. "I've tried to help him, Kankri. It's more than you've done for your dancestor."

"Yes, because they should not  _be_ helped! They are not us, so following in our footsteps was never going to work for them!"

"Why not? They're just like us, so they should be able to—!"

" _They are not_   _us_. I don't know why you've never been able to understand that. Just  _look_ at them, Tuna! My dancestor has  _quadrants!_  He's flushed for Dualscar's little one! Mindfang and Redglare's dancestors are moirails! Peixes is a kind, caring troll who has purposefully stayed away from political power for fear of becoming the next Empress! The Grand Highblood's grub is matesprits with the descendant of the Summoner! They are so,  _so_ different from us. They have new allegiances, new allies, new enemies—and the absolute  _last_ thing we should do is shove them into our own little boxes when we have no idea what they've been through, or what they're going to go through!"

"We  _do_  know what they're going through; we lived it ourselves!"

"We lived  _history_. They are living the present. The two are not the same."

"History repeats itself, Signless, and—"

"Repeats itself, yes, but not exactly! I don't know why you're so determined to guide our dancestors down the same road we walked, knowing our situations are so completely different. My Karkat was not  _meant_ to die a martyr this time around. Peixes is not meant to be slaughtered simply because of her blood color! You're so stuck in the past, Helmsman, that you refuse to understand that we cannot control the lives of those who come after us. They must make their own choices."

"What about when they fuck things up and get themselves killed?"

"Then we wait, and try again next generation. The Condesce will not live forever, and eventually our descendants will come upon the correct combination of actions and conditions to defeat her. For now, though, we are not meant to intervene. Living trolls must live for themselves, and we mustn't attempt to change the course of fate."

The Helmsman's expression twisted painfully. "But…they need us! And I'm not the only one trying to convince our dancestors to repeat history!"

"Is that so?" the Signless murmured, and though Sollux still didn't dare to turn around, he thought that the troll was glowering. "In that case, I might just have to pay the others a  _visit_."

Mituna seemed to know what that meant. "Oh, no. Kankri,  _no."_

"There's no other choice!" the Signless declared with a flourish. "I'm going to make sure that  _no one_ will even  _think_ of interfering with their dancestors for a moment longer."

"But…the Grand Highblood…" Mituna croaked helplessly. "And Dualscar… Do you really think you can make everyone listen?"

"I have a rather nasty habit of making everyone pay attention. They  _will_ listen to me. And once they understand, everyone is going to have a nice, long chat with their dancestors. A chat led by  _me."_

"Woah, woah, woah—what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that the dancestors need someone to set them straight on the fact that they should  _not_ be letting their ancestors live their lives, and the best person to convince them is me. I'll speak to them all. Here."

 _Holy fuck, what_ is _he saying?_

"Sollux?"

He went stiff. Holy shit, the Signless was  _talking_ to him. What was he supposed to do?

"It's okay," Signless soothed gently. "You can look at me."

Slowly he turned, hardly daring to look, and…there he was. Shorter than he'd expected, actually. Shorter and sturdier, but with a weathered face speaking of sweeps of hardship. His eyes were just slightly sunken and weary, and there were a few chips taken out of his horns. Somehow, though, despite the dirty clothing and creased skin and blackened circles beneath his eyes, he looked powerful. Like if he wanted to, he could sway even the strongest of trolls without lifting a hand against them.

Signless smiled when he saw him staring. "It's okay," he repeated. "I'm just a troll, not a god."

Numbly, he nodded. Karkat's ancestor was  _right there._ Troll Jesus was talking to him. Holy shit.

The troll's expression went soft and weary as he no doubt realized that like everyone else, Sollux saw him as some kind of greater being. "Sollux, it's not my place to tell you whether or not to forgive my poor, troubled dancestor for stabbing you. But…before you pass judgment, please remember that the Condesce was merely acting through him in attempt to get to you."

 _I don't blame him,_ he wanted to say, but his voice caught in his throat about halfway up.

"Karkat loves you," Signless said, "loves you in a way that he could never love another. Please remember that when you see him again, be it here or when you awaken."

"I know he does," Sollux blurted out without thinking. Then he flinched, realizing that he'd practically cut the Signless off mid-sentence and hoping he hadn't offended him.

The Signless didn't seem to mind, though. He just smiled. "I'm glad you understand. Now…I'm not certain whether or not you will awaken before I call your friends here, but know that you  _will_ awaken. In the real world, your fever is about to break. You aren't going to die here."

Tension bled out of his shoulders that he hadn't even realized was there. He wasn't going to die. He was going to get to talk to Karkat again, reassure him that this wasn't his fault.

"Oh dear, it looks like you're already starting to fade."

"What?" Sollux jerked his head down to look at his own body, and was alarmed to see that it was starting to spot in and out.

"Mituna, do you have anything to say to your dancestor before he leaves?"

The Helmsman glanced over at him awkwardly. "Um…I…"

His expression fell slightly, and he said, "I see. Not quite ready to admit you're wrong, are you?"

"Kankri…"

The Signless narrowed his eyes. "Don't worry, Mituna, I'll set you straight. As for you, Sollux…well, I suppose I'll see you soon enough."

  


* * *

  


Things, Karkat soon realized, weren't looking good outside.

Gamzee and Eridan had tried to keep the severity of the situation from him. His moirail had implied that things were bad, with two factions forming in reaction to Sollux's stabbing and proceeding to bicker with each other incessantly, completely oblivious to the fact that the Condesce would be arriving in a matter of days to kill them all, but he'd failed to drive home the severity of the situation. Luckily Eridan had filled him in unwittingly when Karkat had requested to go out into the mess hall and had immediately been shot down with a sharp, horrified exclamation that he might as well be walking right into a crowd of trolls thirsty for his blood. Apparently the populous had become a lot more violent than he'd suspected.

"I think they'll still fight together," Eridan had told him while they were still in his room, wrapped together in an attempt to forget the trauma of the past few days. "Once Sol and you give an address and tell that lie about the psychic taking control of you, they'll realize that neither of you were at fault and agree to put their differences aside. We can still win this, if Sol wakes up."

That was the problem, though—getting Sollux to wake up. As of yet his fever was declining slightly but hadn't broken. Even if he was going to live, which was actually starting to look more and more likely, there was still the matter of having him wake up in time to talk the public out of tearing each other apart.

A few hours after that conversation with Eridan, Karkat had finally decided to get up and see if he could find the rest of his friends, maybe take a peek into the mess hall from somewhere he wouldn't be noticed. He wanted to see for himself the carnage he'd caused—or rather, the carnage the Condesce had caused through him. He pushed himself up, Eridan clinging to him the whole way, and went to see exactly what it was he'd done.

It…wasn't good. Even just looking in on the mess hall from a sheltered point free from danger, he could tell that things weren't good. There wasn't any physical fighting, not in the heart of the rebellion itself, but bickering was abundant. Even from where he was standing, well away from the crowd, he could sense the tension and hostility among different trolls. If it was like this here, the safest place in the rebellion, he couldn't imagine what it was like elsewhere. Would that tealblood commander have already gathered loyalist troops to take out the rebels in his city? Would they have lost the support of the indigoblood?

Again, Eridan had consoled him. Not with words, but with an arm hooked around his waist and a pair of cool lips pressed to his jaw. He leaned into the touch gratefully.

"Come on," Eridan said after a while of Karkat just standing there and staring out over the rebels with horror. "This isn't helpin' your condition."

Karkat closed his eyes. Let Eridan pull him back, guide him to step away from the scene in the mess hall. The seadweller was right; this wasn't good for him. "Can we go back to your room?" he asked through a throat that was rapidly swelling itself closed. Tears stung his eyes.  _I did this. Even if the Condesce was controlling me, my body was still the one being used to accomplish it._

The arm around his waist pulled him flush against the seadweller's side. "Yeah, Kar," he whispered. "Whatever you want."

He pressed the flats of his horns up under Eridan's chin. Right now, all he wanted was to go back and hold his matesprit until he finally managed to convince his mind to shut down for a while.

Except, he didn't get to do that.

_"Karkitty!"_

He froze.  _What the fuck?_

Then, just like that, the world exploded into a chaotic jumble of limbs. One minute he was standing there, curled around Eridan and hanging onto whatever scraps of comfort he could derive from the situation, and the next he was being tackled explosively to the ground. Time froze as he realized that this was it, this was what Eridan had been talking about, one of the disgruntled rebels had seen him looking in on the mess hall and had decided to put an end to him for what he'd done to Sollux.

"…thought you'd gone  _crazy_ when I saw that broadcast, but I just  _knew_  that there'd been some kind of misunderstanding, and the Disciple told me exactly what happened! Oh Karkitty, I'm so glad you're not brainwashed anymore!"

Wait…he  _recognized_  that voice! "Nepeta?"

The lump of troll shielding his vision finally drew back, and he caught sight of an unmistakable pair of cat-ear horns and a set of olive eyes. Nepeta Leijon, plastered to his front and purring with all her strength. No wonder Eridan hadn't tried to pull his assailant off of him.

"Karkitty!" she chirped again. "Oh, are you okay? There are bags under your eyes, and you look so sad!"

"I'd, uh…be a little more okay if I wasn't pinned down, Nepeta."

She blinked. Then, "Of course! Sorry, Karkitty!"

Nepeta hadn't changed much over the sweeps. As she climbed off of him and rose to her full height, she still measured up a few inches shorter than him. Her horns were the same size, her eyes were the same piercing green, and even her wardrobe hadn't changed. She was still wearing that childish green sweater with the blue hat. She still had that over-excited grin. One thing she didn't have, however, was Equius.

"Nepeta! How many times have I told you, you can't just run off like that!"

…Or not. Speak of the devil.

"I'm sorry, Equius!" Nepeta exclaimed, "but look! It's Karkitty!"

"Yes, I can see that." Equius took a step forward, came fully into the light, and  _oh god_ he was  _huge._  He'd probably doubled in size after his molt, which put him well over even Eridan's height, and probably closer to Gamzee's. His fangs had been replaced with metal replicas, ones that wouldn't break, and there was a sheathe over his broken horn that returned it to its former size. His shades were unbroken and reinforced. He walked in Karkat's direction with intent. "Karkat, it's—"

Another flurry of movement, and suddenly Karkat's vision was flooded with the purple of Eridan's cape. Ahab's Crosshairs jabbed into the blueblood's chest. "Not so fast, Eq," Eridan snarled. "In case you've forgotten, you're an Empire loyalist. Why the fuck should I let you anywhere near Kar?"

Equius raised a brow. He knew, as Karkat knew, that he could probably crush Eridan's skull with a flick of his wrist and move on to kill whoever he wanted. He was just that strong. "I'm not here to destroy what remains of your rebellion. If I was, I'd just brush you aside and snap the mutant's neck."

Eridan growled and pressed back against Karkat in an attempt to shield him from any potential attack. "Back off! I'm warnin' you!"

Nepeta pawed at Eridan over Karkat's shoulder. "Eridan, you meanie, stop that! Equius is my meowrail; he won't hurt any of my friends! We tried hard to get here so we could help, not kill anyone!"

Eridan didn't budge. "Why would a loyalist like yourself decide to betray the Empire at the last minute? If you really wanted to help, you would have gotten here sooner."

"I could turn that right back around on you, Ampora. Don't test me."

There would have been more, Karkat was sure, but he managed to catch Equius's attention before the bickering resumed full-force. "So what, you returned here just because Nepeta decided she wanted to help?"

"Something like that."

"It took fur- _ever_ to convince him," Nepeta broke in. "He was worried about his highblood  _honor_ or whatever, about disappointing his ancestor and turning his back on the Empire, but it all worked out in the end! I purr-omise he's not going to do anything to hurt you!"

"Promise, huh?" Eridan muttered.

Equius raised his chin. "Promise. I'm here for Nepeta, yes, to make sure nothing befalls her, but I am also here to make sure this rebellion isn't destroyed by the actions of a certain candy-blooded mutant."

"If you're gonna throw around hemophobic slurs, you can get the fuck out!"

"Yes, because we all know you're the shining pillar of achievement when it comes to respecting those of a lower blood color."

"You watch your fuckin' mouth!"

A pair of metallic fangs poked out over dry lips. "I am not here to fight with you, Ampora."

"Then what are you here for? Because there's no way you're just here to completely wreck your precious blue heritage in joining the rebellion."

"Are our situations really so different?" was the stilted response. "I leave for Nepeta, you leave for Karkat?"

Karkat winced. Were they really so obvious? Though, he supposed that they  _had_ walked in on Eridan clinging to him as if letting go would kill them both.

Eridan's eyes narrowed to slits. "If you were really intendin' on helpin' us, why did you take so long to get here?"

"We tried to leave as soon as you guys attacked the military," Nepeta explained, "but everything was just so chaotic outside and we had to wait a while before it was safe to leave. Anyone that saw Equius would probably think he was an Empire supporter due to his blood color, and we really didn't want to get killed. Plus, we had a little side project we thought would help you out!"

"Side project?"

"The drones," Equius supplied. "You did wonder why they all shut off, didn't you?"

Karkat's stomach flipped once, twice. "That was  _you?"_

"Well I  _was_ at the head of the Empire's engineering corps. It didn't take long to figure out how to shut the ones in the city down remotely, then to wipe the rest of them out before they had a chance to turn them back on."

"No way," Eridan said. "No way that was you."

"It sure was!" Nepeta chirped excitedly. She was still hanging off of Karkat's arm, hopping up and down in little bursts of motion. "I watched him do it, and I helped him take out the rest of the engineers. Don't worry, we made sure they really were Empire loyalists before we killed them!"

Nepeta, he trusted. Equius, though…

"It's true," the blueblood said. "I…had a few talks with my ancestor over whether or not I should go with Nepeta in aiding the rebellion, and he agreed that the best option was for me to go with her and do whatever I could to make sure that history didn't repeat itself."

Eridan still didn't look convinced. "Your ancestor, the Executor, loyal servant of the Condesce and executioner to the Signless, told you to serve the rebellion."

Equius loomed threateningly, snapping, "What you seem to be forgetting, Ampora, is the  _end_ of my ancestor's life, when he spent sweeps in a cave agonizing over the fact that he'd betrayed the Disciple and crushed a revolution that he should have been a part of. So ensnared in regret was he that he went so far as to aid the Summoner and Mindfang when they attempted to revive the rebellion!"

Eridan clearly knew it was the truth, based on his sudden defensive posture and the way he sort of melted back against Karkat. And of  _course_ he knew it was the truth, he was a history buff. He just wanted a reason to distrust Equius.

"My ancestor told me to do whatever it took to make sure that I didn't end up like him," Equius went on. "And in this case, that meant coming here to be with my moirail, and to make sure that the people that want to hurt her are eliminated before they have the chance to do so. Tell me, Ampora, if it were  _your_ moirail running off to join the rebel cause, wouldn't you want to make sure that everything you did was in an attempt to protect her?"

For a long moment, Eridan just glared. Then, slowly, his expression warped from stone-cold anger to a weary sort of regret. "Probably would have made things a lot easier, if Fef hadn't dumped me and I'd went with her to join the rebels."

"Then you should understand why I'm doing this now."

The barrel of Ahab's Crosshairs dipped. Wearily, Eridan regarded him. "I suppose I of all people should understand leavin' the Empire to save the life of a quadrantmate. Right, Kar?"

Finally, violet eyes dipped to his. Searching for reassurance. "Right," Karkat snorted, batting him across the horns affectionately. "You're probably the last person that should worry about someone from the Empire being here with malicious intent. Besides, Nepeta says he's not here to hurt us, and I trust her. When has she ever tried to hurt any of us, or made even the smallest attempt to deceive?"

"I…guess she hasn't." Eridan's weapon angled completely to the ground, then vanished back into his sylladex. He dipped his head to Equius. "Forgive me for the trepidation, but you can understand why I'd be a little leery welcomin' someone into the rebellion whose ancestor slaughtered that of my matesprit."

"Yes, well. It's not like Dualscar had anything like a clean record."

Eridan cringed, and Karkat finally managed to get out from behind his matesprit to look Equius in the eye. Eridan almost made a move to stop him, he could tell, but seemingly decided against it at the last moment. "Well," Karkat said bluntly, "I guess that's all twelve of us, then."

Equius cocked his head. "After all the suspicion from someone who's nowhere near your level on the chain of command, you're just going to step aside and allow me to join you? No questions asked?"

"I don't have a reason to distrust you." He really didn't, too. Nepeta had always been the sweetest among them, and if she vouched for Equius, he didn't need any other kind of reassurance. Just knowing that he'd shut off all the drones was enough.

"Yay!" Nepeta cheered. "See, Equius, I told you they'd listen! They need all the help they can get right now, and your plan with the drones can really pick up the slack!"

"Plan with the drones," Karkat echoed. "What does that mean, exactly?"

"Oh, well…" Equius wiped at his forehead with a forearm. "That's one of the reasons it took so long to get to you. You see, all drones on Alternia are controlled through only one outpost in the main city, hidden underground in a location unknown to the majority of the populous and staffed by a small team of the Empire's best mechanics."

"And they're dead now!" Nepeta reminded them.

Equius gave a nod. "Yes, we killed everyone who knew how to operate the drones. That means that I'm the only one left that can control them, meaning we're free to use them in combat against the Empire."

 _Holy shit._ The thought of using the drones against the Empire…it was like a dream come true. Could Equius really make that happen?

"None of the Empire troops have ever been taught how to fight drones," Equius said. "And I know how to program all of them in mass to attack whoever we want. I've been working on that exact program, and I think I may be able to implement it well before the Condesce arrives. They'll reinforce the rebels, cut down on casualties and give us an advantage that we desperately need. Assuming, of course, that you can quell the utter chaos in the streets and pull the rebels back into one collective body."

"We can do it," Eridan said. "We're just waitin' for Sol to wake up."

"Then in the meantime, I can work on setting up the equipment I need to implement the program. You'll need to tell the people that the drones aren't going to hurt them, otherwise this will all be useless."

That was true; the only reason they hadn't already been destroyed was the fact that they were all lying deactivated in the streets. "As soon as Sollux wakes up."

Equius nodded. "In that case, I would be appreciative if you would show me to whatever laboratory I'm sure he has lurking in the castle. I want to get to work immediately."

"Aww, but Equius! We haven't even seen the others yet!"

Always a softie when it came to Nepeta, Equius backed down without so much as a complaint. "Very well, but you  _know_  how important this is. Please don't delay."

Nepeta leapt up in excitement. "Yes! Thank you, Equius!"

"Yes, yes…"

Nepeta kept chattering, lunging to climb Equius and cling to his back, and the two seemed to fall back into their own little world as Eridan leaned back against Karkat with a defeated little sigh.

The reality of the situation wasn't lost on him, as he rested his arm on Eridan's shoulder and pressed into the contact. For the first time in four sweeps, all twelve of them were in the same place fighting for the same cause. They were together. They were together, and the Condesce was coming for them in a matter of days.

One way or another, it would be over soon.


	40. La Boîte à Musique

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly take me away, I can't see another word document this week. You guys have no idea how many papers I've written in the past few days, geez! Still, this was very fun to write and I'm happy with how it turned out! I can't believe there are only six more chapters until this story is over. I feel like I've been posting it for a lifetime. In fact, as this story has been posting I've put out four other stories! That's a lot of writing.
> 
> This week's chapter is Stories From Elsewhere part three, [ La Boîte à Musique ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZwizE5yBOs) by Rhian Sheehan. Definitely one of my favorites; I've been saving it since the beginning for the right chapter!

Sollux's fever broke overnight. It had been quick, silent—one minute he was twitching and choking for breath in his sleep, the next he was sighing in relief as his temperature plummeted back within the normal parameters for a lowblood of his blood color. He didn't wake up, but it was now official that he would live. The healers had almost completely sealed the gashes in his chest. Despite that, though, he wouldn't be fit to fight for months. When the final battle came, Sollux wouldn't be in combat.

In the hours that followed, Nepeta and Equius rejoined the rest of their friends. It seemed that everyone had missed the last absent members of their party, and the fact that Equius's program had the potential to offer them at least some advantage certainly hadn't hurt his popularity. They'd just slipped back into the group as if nothing had ever happened.

When Equius finally managed to drag Nepeta away, Eridan led the two straight down to the lab and showed Equius where he could set up the equipment he'd brought with him from the underground control room. Equius had worked for hours without stopping, Nepeta scurrying this way and that to fetch him tools and haul machine parts all over the place. When he was done, the lab had been transformed.

"It's complicated," he'd said when he was asked to explain it. "All you need to know is that when I run this program, I can remotely order every single drone on Alternia to target anyone wearing an Alternian military uniform. As long as you make sure everyone knows they can't be wearing their uniforms, it should work flawlessly. There are more accurate ways to program them, of course—I could command the drones to target anyone with a horn shape that's been registered into the official Empire database, but that just runs the risk of the drones targeting trolls that have left the Empire to join the rebellion. Vriska and Eridan, for example, would be targeted because they would register as Empire troops. This is the safest way." And there hadn't been any arguing with that.

While Equius worked, Aradia and Tavros busied themselves by getting the broadcast room in the castle ready for when Sollux woke up. They'd hooked the cameras back up, made sure the equipment was in place, and even went so far as to make a bulleted list of points they thought should be addressed. Everything was set up.

So…all there was to do until then was wait.

 

* * *

 

Sollux hadn't left the dream bubbles. This he knew. Ever since the Signless had left—or rather,  _he_  had  _faded_ —he'd just been left wandering around in that same, grassy field as before. He had no idea how much time had passed. He hadn't run across anyone else.

So when the world suddenly flickered and changed around him, he knew that something was happening.

First the grass shriveled and died, the rot taking the whole field in a wave. Then even the dead grass vanished, replaced with cracking stone and ruined buildings. The air sizzled with ozone. Above him, the sky rolled and retreated to reveal a dark red color shot through with black and patches of lighter orange. It looked like fire. It  _moved_ like lava. The sun was gone, but still he felt as if his entire body was being cooked.

_Something is wrong,_ he thought immediately, and for just a moment he entertained the thought that he was dying, that the Signless had been incorrect.

There was a dark lump in the street ahead of him. Another troll? He moved toward them with as much haste as he dared, wincing as the soles of his shoes tried to stick to the tacky asphalt. The closer he got the more he recognized, until he was kneeling next to a familiar troll with spiraled horns.

"AA!" he exclaimed. "Oh, fuck—are you okay? Did you die?"

Aradia groaned. Shifted, turning to flash one eye in his direction. Then she jolted.  _"Sollux?"_

"Yeah," Sollux said, stunned. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

Aradia pushed herself up on shaking limbs. Wide-eyed, she looked around. "I-I…I don't know…I don't remember dying, just a feeling of dizziness. Where are we? Are  _you_ okay?"

"I'm fine," he said quickly. "This is just where I am until I wake up. We're in the dream bubbles right now—you know, the places where our ancestors have been communicating with all of us?"

Her eyes widened even further. "Oh…wow, this is…"

"But why are you here?" Sollux repeated. "Your ancestor isn't interested in speaking to you due to her lack of involvement in the rebellion, so why…?"

"Oh, there you are!" a familiar voice called suddenly. "I was wondering if we'd find anyone else in this hellscape!"

Sollux turned on heel to see Vriska and Tavros, the latter of which was looking rather uncomfortable. "VK…? TV?"

"Sollux, what the fuck is going on?" Vriska demanded as she finally drew close enough to speak without yelling. "This is that dream bubble with all the ancestors, right? Why are we here together?"

Sollux shook his head in bewilderment. "I don't know. I feel like I've been here for sweeps, waiting to wake up, but I haven't seen anyone other than my own ancestor, and…"

_…And the Signless…who said that he was going to call all of us here to have a conversation about following in the footsteps of our ancestors. Fuck._

"I think I know what's going on here."

Vriska raised a brow. "Care to explain?"

Sollux just shook his head. "I don't want to scare you if I'm wrong. If I'm right, though, we just need to keep moving until we find everyone. All twelve of us should be here."

Vriska looked like she was ready to argue with that, but miraculously her lips stayed mostly sealed and she just muttered something about hoping this little excursion wasn't eating up their time in the real world. She followed, Tavros followed, Aradia followed, and Sollux led the three of them further into what had to be a ruined Alternian city in search of other trolls.

Gamzee appeared next, lounging against the side of a building as if he was completely unsurprised to find himself back in the bubbles. "Hey, Solbro!" he called the instant he saw their group on the horizon. "Good to see you're up and walking around again, brother!"

Gamzee joined their group without so much as a question, latching onto Tavros and engaging him in some kind of dopy back-and-forth as they moved further into the city. When Terezi and Feferi appeared together, the tealblood running to Vriska and the tyrian running to Sollux, no one batted an eye. Equius and Nepeta were found not far off.

Sollux could tell they were nearing something major. The air was growing warmer, a glow emanating from what looked like the center of the city, and winds began to whip up ash and char all around them. Whatever it was, they were close.

Kanaya joined them close to the heart of the storm. "Where are Karkat and Eridan?" was the first thing out of her mouth, which kind of confused Sollux right out the door. He understood her being worried about Karkat, but Eridan? Then again, Eridan and him  _were_ supposed to be looking for an auspice, and Kanaya was good at that kind of thing. Maybe Eridan had tried to start building some kind of relationship?

"We haven't found them yet," Aradia explained quietly. "Presumably they're next to whatever  _that_  is."

Kanaya spared a glance at the firestorm in front of them. "Oh, no…I hope they're okay."

"We'll find out soon."

They continued their trek. Everyone was quiet now, sensing some terrible calamity taking place in the center of the city. No one dared speak in the stifling air.

Then, over the horizon, there was a shout.

_Was that…?_

It sounded again, and this time it was unmistakable.  _Eridan._ The others heard it too. There was one, tense pause in which the group just stared, surprised by the sudden sound, then all of them were rushing.

Sollux saw it first, from his position at the front of the group, with Kanaya practically stepping on his heels. A flash of purple through the burning air. A hint of something glowing, violently scarlet and curved in an odd shape. The sizzle of burning flesh. A flicker of candy corn.

Then, just like that, the scene was thrown into sickening clarity.

"Kar! Oh god, Kar, answer me! You're okay, I'll get you out, I'll…I'll do somethin'!"

Sollux's brain shorted out. Karkat…why was Karkat there? Why was he chained? Why were the chains fucking  _glowing?_

"Come on, come on, come on…Kar!" Eridan tried to yank at the chains, the cuffs around his matesprit's wrists, and flinched back with a pained yelp. Those chains weren't just glowing, they were glowing with  _heat._  Karkat wasn't reacting, though. He hung against the slab of rock he was bound to, suspended only by his wrists, and didn't so much as twitch even as the metal nipped at his skin.

The others drew up behind him. "Oh my god," someone whispered, though Sollux wasn't sure who. He was too busy staring in horror as Eridan tried to get Karkat down, and failed miserably. His fingers came away singed with every attempt.

Kanaya was the one to snap out of it first. "Eridan!" she exclaimed, darting forward and slapping his hands away as he tried to go for the cuffs again. "Stop that, you're just hurting yourself!"

"But Kar—"

She raised a placating hand. "Eridan,  _stop._  We'll get Karkat down, but you're not helping him by hurting yourself!"

As if on cue, the others snapped into action. Gamzee was there in a heartbeat, patting at Karkat's face in an attempt to wake him, while Equius quickly got beneath him and lifted to take some of the pressure off of his wrists. The others chattered nervously about possible ways to cool the chains and get them off.

"Sollux, can you use your psionics to snap the chains?" Kanaya asked sharply.

He started. "Oh, yeah, just let me…" He raised a hand, feeling his powers begin to boil beneath the skin.

Then, suddenly, the entire clearing rippled.

Everything shifted.

"What's wrong?" a familiar voice sounded, smooth and convincing and as eerily familiar as ever. "He's just fulfilling his destiny."

Eridan whirled around with a snarl. "What kind of a destiny is this? He doesn't deserve to—!" Then he paused, eyes widening as he saw just who was addressing him.

_Welcome back, Signless._

"Don't look so surprised," the Signless said, sweeping his sharp gaze from troll to troll. "Many of you wanted this, remember? For each troll to find their destiny? Well…according to you, this is his."

"That's fuckin' bullshit!" Eridan protested. He'd seemingly gotten over his awe in the face of his matesprit being slowly burned through right before his eyes. "We're not bound to what our ancestors want of us!"

_He gets it,_ Sollux realized, but he didn't have time to dwell on Eridan's seeming enlightenment before Signless was cocking his head and asking, "Is that so? Because there are several of your friends that seem determined that each of you should follow in the footsteps of your ancestors."

Glances were exchanged, so subtle that Sollux himself barely noticed. Vriska shrank back in shame.

The Signless hummed and drew closer. Trolls skittered every which way as he approached, then stopped when he was standing over Karkat. Even Eridan backed away. "Very accurate to real life," Signless appraised, closing a hand around Karkat's chin and tilting it this way and that. "But…I think there's something missing here." He clicked his fingers.

It was quick. One minute they were staring, stunned, and the next moment there was an arrow cocked and aimed at Karkat's chest, supported by a bow drawn tight.

"Equius!" Nepeta shrieked, "what are you doing? Stop that! We're friends with Karkitty, remember? We don't want to hurt him!"

"Oh, but I think he does!" Signless said. "And one more thing…"  _Click._

Nepeta shrieked again, this time in stunned terror as she lurched forward with robotic jerkiness and sealed her claws to Equius's throat. Whatever protest she was about to make died in her throat as she realized that she was about a half a second from slitting her moirail's throat. Everyone froze.

Signless gave an easy smile. "There we go. Much more historically accurate."

In his heart, Sollux knew that they were safe. No one could die in the dream bubbles, really, not outside the game. If they went down, they'd wake up. Simple as that. But even knowing that…when he saw the way his friends were being held at each other's throats…

Kanaya stepped forward once, carefully. "Please," she said, "release them. I don't know how you're controlling them, seeing as you're no psychic, but—"

"No," Signless interrupted, "I'm not a psychic. What I am, though, is good at manipulating dream bubbles and those contained within. Speaking of which, I believe there's a destiny  _you're_ supposed to be fulfilling too."

Kanaya paused, then cried out as she was suddenly whipped to the ground by some unknowable force. Her arms jerked together at the wrists as if bound.

Signless gestured to Eridan. "And you, her subjugator."

"Wha—hey!" Eridan staggered then fell as he was lured to Kanaya's side. His foot pressed firmly against her stomach a moment later, frozen in the position of a master presiding over a slave. Kanaya peered up at him through wide, frightened eyes.

"And of course, the troll that ended it all." Another gesture, and Gamzee was making a soft, surprised sound as he jabbed a club to the back of Eridan's head against his will.

"What else?" the Signless hummed. "Ah, yes—the two of  _you_."

Vriska didn't make so much as a sound as she was suddenly whipped forward to press Terezi to the ground and hold a blade flush to her throat. The two just regarded each other grimly, as if they'd been expecting it.

"As well as the two of  _you_ …"

A lance pressed snug to Vriska's back. Tavros gulped audibly.

"Oh, and of course…"

Sollux's mind washed with scarlet. Control was wrenched from him, steering him a few feet forward and throwing him onto his knees. Against his will, his arms jerked above his head and stayed there. Feferi's hand settled on his forehead, and never had she looked more like the Condesce.

Then it was still. The twelve of them froze, each locked into their respective ancestor's roles, and just stared at each other as the Signless watched solemnly. His point proven, he waited.

Then, "So this is what you want, is it? To follow in the footsteps of your ancestors? To kill each other, wantonly and without reason, to take each other prisoner, to tear and scratch and bicker until there's nothing left?"

Sollux couldn't even  _try_ to move. He guessed the others were in the same position. Above him Feferi looked like a demon, eyes glowing as she held him still in the position of a warship's battery.

"Is this not enough to understand that you shouldn't be glorifying us?" the Signless asked. "Or do I need to do something else to drive the point home?"

There was a moment of nothingness, of confusion. Then something hit him like a wave, and Sollux was screaming before he had the chance to clench his teeth together.

The  _helm._ There was a concoction of fleshy, wiry bits winding around his arms, winding down to his waist and legs, holding him immobile as wires jabbed into his flesh and coiled around his horns and sapped the power from his bones bit by bit. Commands hit him one by one, and he choked on every breath as he felt his body wrench against his will to accommodate the orders.  _Move,_ something ordered him, and he flared with power.  _Faster,_ something said, and he obeyed with an agonized shriek. He wanted to die, wanted to fade away, but  _she_ was there, pressing her lips to his and breathing life into him every time his heart tried to flicker out. It never ended. Never. He lived for sweeps, and when he finally died he was nothing more than a hollow shell.

Sollux jolted as his mind returned to the present, and he had to clamp a hand over his mouth to stop himself from screaming. Only a moment later did he realize that he'd  _moved,_ and he lifted his head to see that the others were on the ground as well, all in varying degrees of agony. The Signless had released his hold, but only after each of them had presumably been given flickers of their ancestors' pasts.

_"Sollux,"_ Feferi choked from beside him, "oh god, I'm so sorry, I never meant to hurt you like that, I-I…I just—!"

Sollux groaned as the seadweller pressed close to him, sobbing once, wetly. Equius was clinging to Nepeta not too far away; nearby Terezi was clutching at her throat as Vriska flicked her gaze from her to Tavros, wrought with conflict. Gamzee stayed on his back and stared in shock. Eridan clutched at Kanaya almost blindly in his horror. Aradia stood in silence, the only one that hadn't been drawn into the mess. She looked terrified.

"What's wrong?" the Signless asked softly. "This is who you're meant to be, who your ancestors would have you become. Don't you like it?"

No one answered. They just reeled, still lost in flickers of the past, struggling to make sense of what they'd seen. They were wrecked.

The Signless cocked his head. "But you wanted to follow in the footsteps of your ancestors! You should  _enjoy_ this destiny! It's exactly what you're heading for, after all."

Finally, Sollux managed to get his knees beneath him. Even while he was still flickering with memories of a helm that he'd never been attached to, he just barely convinced himself to raise his head to look at Karkat's ancestor. He was standing in the middle of them all, gaze flicking from person to person as he spoke.

"Don't mistake my meaning," he continued, "I very much understand that some of you have no interest in becoming your ancestor. Some of you have the right idea." He brushed past Eridan as he spoke, then Gamzee. "You two, for example, have not allowed your ancestors to dictate your destinies. You have followed your own path, as  _all_  of you should."

"Why drag all of us into this, then?" Eridan rasped. He was still clinging to Kanaya, and Sollux wondered if he even knew he was doing it. "You said it yourself, some of us have no intention of becoming our ancestors, so why make all of us go through this?"

The corners of his mouth quirked upward. "I suppose I wanted to make sure that none of you were having second thoughts. And of course, there's something that I believed all of you should hear, regardless of whether or not you wish to obey your ancestors' prodding."

Again, Sollux felt his mind wash with red as the Signless manipulated the world around him. When the scarlet hue cleared, he found himself standing in almost the same position as the beginning, with Feferi and Aradia at his side and the rest of his team rearranged to the Signless' liking. Gamzee and Tavros had been thrown together. Equius and Nepeta were standing side by side instead of at each other's throats. Vriska and Terezi were sprawled out side by side, Eridan was sitting next to Kanaya with that same, stunned look on his face…they were all back in their proper places. The places they'd chosen rather than the ones their ancestors would force them into. Karkat, though, hadn't moved an inch. He hung helplessly as the Signless stood in front of him, facing the line of trolls sprawled out across the ground.

The Signless moved once, suddenly, stepping up onto a chunk of debris to elevate himself just slightly. He looked like some kind of god, standing there with the firelight singing his back and his eyes glowing like coals from the dark yawn of his hood. Like something right out of a movie, dramatic lighting and all. Not for the first time, Sollux understood how he had been able to incite Alternia to revolution with his voice alone. How he still had followers, spread out across the world.

"I'll make this as brief as possible," he began. "I know that time is of the essence, and drawing all of you here at the same time was a feat that won't last for long. So for as long as you're here, I want you to dwell on the experience you just had. Feel,  _really_ feel, the horrors that your ancestors were put through, and the knowledge they gained from those horrors."

Frowning, Sollux considered the Helmsman. He hadn't really learned  _anything_ from his experiences. He'd just felt… _angry_.

"Feel everything they did. And realize that even though your ancestors say they want you to avoid their pain, that they want you to follow in their footsteps only to a certain point in order to win the rebellion, that listening to their advice  _will_ make you feel that same pain." Signless glanced back to where Karkat was hanging limp against the stone slab. "If Sollux listens to the Helmsman, Karkat will die a martyr. If Vriska insists upon becoming Mindfang, she will end up getting her moirail killed, and inevitably lose the rebellion. If Gamzee and Eridan were to listen to their ancestors, they would join forces and slaughter every lowblood in their path." His gaze returned to the eleven of them, Karkat at his back. "That is not what has happened, though. Not yet. For now, you're all teetering on the edge of some great horizon that will either lead to your defeat or your glory. You haven't yet made the mistakes that would lead to your calamitous deaths. I'm here to make sure you never make them—or if you do, that they are born of your own thoughts and actions rather than your ancestors'.

"Obviously it is not up to me to decide whether or not you choose to follow the orders of your ancestors and become them in your own time. But after what you've experienced here, I would hope that you at least plan to rethink whether or not you want to put yourself through their pain. Don't misunderstand—regardless of what you choose to do and who you choose to follow, your paths will not be easy. But it is my belief that if you make your  _own_ decisions, do what  _you_ think is right, you can still win this rebellion."

There was a single moment in which no one spoke, awed by the powerful speech. Then, "So what, we're just supposed to tell our ancestors to fuck off when they try to help us?"

Signless stared Vriska down evenly. "You are supposed to use your own judgment, not blindly follow the advice of someone who is not, contrary to popular belief, anything more than a troll."

Vriska stepped back, but said nothing more. She looked guilty.

"I will say this one time, and one time only," Signless said. "On Alternia, I know how I am regarded, and how the other eleven are regarded. Time has warped us into gods, into heroes and fantastical villains. In reality…" He sighed, sweeping an arm down and gesturing to his ragged clothing. Beneath the cloak, he looked small. "We're just trolls. We're trolls with questionable decision-making skills, who made mistakes and treated each other poorly and ended up dying because of it. Each and every single one of us made mistakes, and none of us learned as much as we should have. In all honestly, we're still as terrible as we ever were in life. So…before you bend to your ancestors' will without a second thought, please remember that they're  _not_  gods. None of us are. We're just as prone to mistakes and lapses in judgment as you. I understand the desire to make your ancestor proud, to live up to your name, but believe me when I say that none of us will be proud if you get yourself killed following our orders. Even the most brutal among us would be devastated to know that our commands were the reason that any of you were killed—and if you are intending upon becoming us, you  _will_  die like us."

Subtly, Sollux looked over at Vriska, but she was hidden behind Terezi.

"When you wake up and return to your world, you will be left with a very simple decision: obey your ancestors' every command, or go your own way and do what  _you_  think is right. For many of you, those two paths may be quite similar. For others, they will look nothing alike. All that matters is that  _you_ decide which one you'll be traveling, with the full knowledge that to become your ancestor will be to experience their pain. Choose wisely. If you're wrong, there won't be a second chance."

_So if I see the Helmsman, I'm just supposed to…what? Tell him to fuck off?_

Signless seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. "I've already spoken with the others. They've agreed, rather begrudgingly, to give you your space in this time before the final battle strikes. You will experience no more messages until after you've either won or lost."

_So it's really entirely up to us, then,_ Sollux thought.  _We won't be influenced by our ancestors at all from now until the end of this rebellion. We're on our own. VK…will this be enough to convince you to let me implement my strategies without you demanding to wreck everything just to be like Mindfang?_

The world rippled around them. The Signless looked up. "It's time for you to go. And time for  _one_ of you to finally open your eyes again."

Sollux blinked in surprise when that pair of candy-red eyes settled on him. Holy shit, was he actually going to wake up? Was he going to get to pull the rebellion back together in preparation for the Condesce's arrival?

Signless smiled warmly. "Good luck, all of you. I hope you choose more wisely than we did."

 

* * *

 

Sollux awoke with a choking gasp, spluttering and gagging on a breath as he found himself cast back into the waking world for the first time in days. Coughing proved to be a bad idea. His chest, where Karkat had stabbed him, throbbed with every breath. The wounds weren't gaping, he could tell, but they  _hurt._ His whole body ached.

_I'm back,_ he thought through a rough, hacking cough.  _This is the infirmary, I'm sure of it. I'm finally out of the dream bubbles. Which means…I can finally fix whatever disaster I'm sure this mess has created._

When his eyes finally adjusted to the bright whiteness of the infirmary, he realized that his vision was surprisingly devoid of red and blue coloring. His glasses had been removed.

"Oh my god," groaned a familiar voice from the ground next to his bed. "Holy fuck. I think I just blacked out."

Sollux tried to push himself up to peer over at the troll sprawled on the floor, but had to stop as his chest pulsed painfully. Clearly he wasn't fully healed. "KK, is that you?"

Karkat made an angry sound in affirmation. "Fuck…what was that? I was just sitting here minding my own business, and then…"

"You blacked out?" Sollux guessed.

"Yeah, I—wait,  _Sollux?_ You're awake?" Karkat scrambled to his feet, only staggering a little, and leaned on Sollux's bed hard. His eyes were wide and red, so much like the Signless…

"Did you dream?" Sollux found himself asking, remembering the way Karkat had slumped unconscious in his chains for the duration of their shared sleep. He'd been the only one unaware of what was going on around him.

"Did I  _dream?"_  Karkat echoed, indignant. "What the fuck kind of a question is that? No I didn't dream!"

So he had no idea. He wondered if—

"Kar! Oh man, there you are—are you okay?"

Sollux winced as a purple blur suddenly rushed into the room in a flurry of too-long limbs and twitching fins, and tackled Karkat without so much as a pause to make sure nothing else was going on in the room. Karkat screeched in confusion as he was bowled over.

"Oh my god,  _Eridan—_ just—what the fuck are you doing? Of course I'm okay, it's only been a few hours since we've seen each other!"

Eridan's fingers skirted across Karkat's wrists, where the cuffs had so brutally burned into his flesh in the dream. "You're not hurt? You don't feel any pain?"

_"No_ I don't feel anything! What exactly do you think I've been  _doing_  in here?"

"Oh, thank  _god_." The seadweller pulled Karkat into a crushing embrace. "Fuck, Kar, I was so fuckin' scared!"

"It was just a dream," Sollux said stiffly. If that had been real, if they'd all really been in the dream bubbles, then Eridan would respond in kind.

He did. "Shit…that really happened. You were there, weren't you? I'm not crazy?"

"Unless both of us have gone off the deep end, I'm inclined to say that no, we're not. And assuming the others had the same dream…"

As if on cue, a flurry of movement appeared in the doorway.

"Karbro!" Gamzee called, eyes wide as he charged into the room and practically smothered Karkat, and Eridan by extension. "Are you okay?"

"What, you too? I'm fine!"

Tavros put a hand on his matesprit's shoulder, though he was shaking like a leaf. "See? I told you he'd be fine."

More movement. Then Feferi and Aradia were appearing as one, rushing to Sollux's side and babbling excitedly about how the Signless had been  _right,_ how he'd predicted that Sollux was about to awaken.

"How are your wounds feeling?" Feferi asked as Nepeta barreled into the room with Equius chasing after her in an attempt to prevent the hyperactive chaos that was bound to follow.

Sollux winced as Nepeta crashed into a set of monitors. Answered, "Everything hurts, thanks."

Aradia laughed shakily. "Well, you  _were_ effectively stabbed three times in the chest."

"Right…" Sollux looked down at Karkat. There was a conversation to be had there, certainly, but for now the redblood seemed preoccupied with staring in confusion as Kanaya appeared, moving over to Eridan to ask him something Sollux couldn't hear, followed shortly by Terezi and Vriska. All of them had rushed to the infirmary without second thought.

"Sollux, you really woke up!" Kanaya exclaimed, moving away from Eridan to speak with him. "Oh, goodness—there's just so much to talk about, between the dream and the reason you were stabbed and the state of the rebellion and what we need to do next…"

His head was already spinning. He opened his mouth to say that they should probably start off with the dream, seeing as he was pretty familiar with why he'd been stabbed (if only in concept, not in specifics), but Karkat's sudden yowl cut him off before he could really get going.

"Can someone  _please_ tell me why the grubfucking  _fuck_ you're all here babbling about dreams? And why the fuck are you so  _emotional?_  Did someone fucking die?"

Sollux bit back a laugh. He supposed it did look like everyone was feeling an abundance of gratitude and  _affection_ for each other after having experienced what their ancestors had gone through. Everyone just seemed so thankful that they'd formed the quadrants they had, that they still had each other, that they hadn't killed each other and ended up sprawled out in a pool of their own blood. There wasn't an ounce of hostility among them.

Kanaya was the one to step forward with an explanation. "The twelve of us were called to the dream bubbles," she explained gently. "We all dreamed together, and had the same vision of the Signless appearing to us to set us on the right track."

Karkat's expression twisted. "And he didn't invite me.  _Again_."

"Aww, no, brother," Gamzee rumbled, "it wasn't like that. You were there, just unconscious and chained up."

The redblood's hands shot to his wrists. Huh…maybe he  _did_ remember something. "Great. So my ancestor was using me as a prop to get his point across."

"I'm sure he cares about you, but he—"

"No, no!" Karkat waved a hand. "Just…forget I said anything. Go on and tell me what this dream was about."

Kanaya didn't look entirely convinced, but still she persisted. "I don't think you would have wanted to be there, Karkat. The Signless…what he showed us…"

"What she's tryin' to say, Kar, is that the Signless wanted to talk to us and make sure that the ancestors weren't interferin' in our choices. He thinks that if we let that happen, we'll lose the rebellion and end up just like them. So…he toyed with us a little and made us feel exactly what our ancestors felt while they were alive. Little snippets of their lives, playing our across our minds for a split second that felt like a sweep."

Karkat's features twisted. "Oh…fuck, so that's why you're all so touchy feely. You totally just saw each other fucking die."

Eridan looked to the side. "Y-yeah…pretty much. I…I don't want to remember the shit my ancestor did. But there it is."

"Well…" Now it was Karkat's turn to jerk his gaze away. "I doubt I would have wanted to feel the agony of being strung up by my wrists in a pair of red-hot cuffs. Still, my ancestor is as much of an asshole as ever."

"He was very eloquent," Kanaya supplied quietly. "Very persuasive."

"KK's given better speeches," Sollux said, just to make his kismesis feel better. "He'll do it again soon enough."

Everyone fell silent. That was addressing the elephant in the room, really, the fact that the Condesce was probably quite close to Alternia when they were nowhere near ready to face her.

"Sollux," Feferi said, "a lot changed while you were unconscious."

"The rebels went crazy, right? I imagine something like that would happen after they saw the rebellion's figurehead just fucking stab the tactical leader."

Karkat flinched as if he'd been struck, but said nothing.

"Crazy is one word for it," Feferi agreed carefully. "They've split up into factions. Some of them support you, others support Karkat. They're bickering incessantly in the streets, and we think that the only way to bring them back together in time to beat the Condesce is for you and Karkat to give an address together. I understand that the two of you may have a few things to work through in regard to what happened, but if we want to win this rebellion then you'll have to put all that aside for at least long enough to give an address."

Sollux practically  _felt_ Karkat fidgeting guiltily. "Just explain one thing to me."

Feferi raised a brow. Said, "Of course."

"No, not you." Sollux swung his gaze to Karkat, who immediately tried to shrink to hide behind Gamzee. "KK. Explain to me how the Condesce took control of you."

Karkat's eyes went wide as saucers. "W-what?"

"I know that wasn't you. You'd never hurt me like that." Even if the Helmsman hadn't told him, he would have known. "It couldn't have been you, KK, so I know it had to have been the Condesce. How did she do it?"

Karkat looked at him as if his world had suddenly gotten just a little bit brighter. He'd blamed himself, Sollux had no doubt of that, and hearing that he already  _knew_ that it wasn't his fault had to have been a load off his shoulders. "Fuck…Sollux…"

Eridan soothed a hand across his shoulders, saying, "Apparently the Condesce has a power we didn't know about, where she can get her hands around a troll's horns, look them in the eyes, and give them an order that will last for as long as she wants it to. She used it on Kar and me."

_Of course…_ That made  _so_  much sense. If the Condesce could take control from a distance, Karkat wouldn't have had a choice in the matter. But still… "What did she order you to do, exactly? Why didn't you tell us?"

Karkat flushed bright red. "She…she ordered me to wait until I got back to Alternia, then kill you in front of the whole world after we'd developed as big a following as we could. After that, I was just supposed to shut down. Go into a coma."

"And…did you…?"

"Y-yeah…" Karkat nudged at Eridan, probably subconsciously, and the seadweller wrapped an arm around him. "I tried to kill you, before I even knew what I was doing. Then I just…shut down. Vriska and Feferi had to tear into my head for hours before I'd wake up."

Eridan's thumb brushed absentmindedly over Karkat's cheek. "The same with me. Apparently the Condesce is the one that ordered me to leave Kar behind and join her. She wanted me to remain loyal, I guess."

Sollux froze. Eridan…had been  _ordered_ to leave Karkat all those sweeps ago? He hadn't had a choice? It  _hadn't_  been his fault?

"Don't get me wrong," Eridan said quickly, "I'm still a scumbag for the way I treated Kar. I'm not lettin' this excuse me. But…those orders are gone now. Everyone's been scanned to make sure there aren't any residual commands lurkin' around waitin' to destroy us. So everythin' we do from here on out is our own fault."

That…was surprisingly wise. "So I guess I can really trust you now, huh? There's nothing left for me to distrust you for."

"Well, I wouldn't say that. I'm still a little bit of a douche, in case you hadn't noticed."

The corners of his lips quirked upward. "Oh no, I noticed. It's as if—"

"Sollux!"

He paused, looking to Karkat with surprise. The redblood was just standing there, still pressed lightly into Eridan's side, looking a mixture of terrified and ashamed to have interrupted. "KK?"

Karkat shuffled his feet. "Look, I—I just need to say that I'm sorry. I know that I couldn't have stopped it, and that I wasn't myself, but…still. I need to apologize for what I did, even knowing that a simple apology will never be enough."

"KK, no. You don't have to apologize to me."

"But—!"

_"No,_ KK. If you're really so conflicted about this, we can jam later. But for now, I'm not letting you continue to pretend that this was in any way your fault. We both know that if you'd had any control, you wouldn't have let this happen. As it is I'm alive and recovering, so as far as I'm concerned you don't have much to be sorry about." He turned to the others, who were waiting quietly for the quadrant drama to play itself out. "Now, why don't you guys fill me in on what exactly has been going on these past few days?"

Vriska was the one to push forward. She still looked sheepish, a bit guilty, as if the dream were still clinging tight. "Well, we discovered why the Condesce wasn't attacking us when she had the chance. Why she just stood back and let us take Alternia."

"Because of KK, right?" Sollux asked. "She was waiting to let him kill the rebellion for us."

"Yeah, that's it. Apparently she was waiting for all the rebels to show themselves before she used Karkat to stun them, then swooped in herself to wipe them all out. Apparently she had the timing all planned out, where she'd take off in her ship the instant she heard that Karkat had made his move. That would place her here exactly in time to wipe us all out before we could organize and get our feet back beneath us. But then I wrecked her ship, and that set her off by about a week. If I hadn't blown the engines…"

Sollux shuddered. If the Condesce's ship had been functional, they would have already been killed.

"You wrecked her plan," Terezi joked, but she sounded oddly somber. "You gave us an extra few days."

"We're still on tenterhooks," Vriska pointed out. "I don't know if you've noticed, but the rebels are kind of freaking out."

Kanaya nudged her way forward. "Yes, and now Sollux is awake. Karkat and him can give their speech and pull the rebels back together, and Equius's plan with the drones will help fill in all the holes."

Oh, right. Sollux raised a hand. "Hey EQ, NP. Long time no see. And what's this about drones?"

Nepeta chirped out a cheerful greeting as Equius said, "I put together a program that will let drones target military troops and wipe them out. It won't win the war, but I believe it will help immensely."

He stared. "Great. I've been trying to pick those things apart for sweeps, and you just waltz in and figure it out in the span of a few days."

"Shorter than that, actually. You should also know that I was the one responsible for shutting down the drones during your scramble to claim the military base."

"Fuck. Really?"

Equius dipped his head. "It has now become my duty to serve the rebellion. No thanks required."

Sollux shook his head in bewilderment. "Shit, EQ, that's incredible."

"It is," Kanaya agreed. "But that's not what we should be focusing on. Right now, we need to work quickly to get the rebellion back on track. Sollux, do you think you can give the address soon?"

"Yes, of course. I'll speak as soon as I know what I'm supposed to say."

He didn't miss Karkat's nervous glance in Eridan's direction. Kanaya spoke over them, though, well before either could open their mouth. "Well…I assume you understand that we can't tell the public that Karkat was controlled by the Condesce. There would cause an uproar. So instead, all of us have agreed that a lie will be necessary."

"A lie?" Sollux echoed, stunned. "You want us to lie to the whole world?"

"We don't have another choice, Sollux. If we tell the truth, Alternia will descend into chaos. The Condesce will wipe us all out."

"What kind of a lie are we talking about, here?"

Kanaya dipped her head. "We intend to tell the public that a psychic took control of Karkat and compelled him to attack you. You were rushed into intensive care, Karkat was restrained, and in time both of you were brought back to your normal selves. Both of you will explain these events as if they are the truth, and tell the world that you and the other members of the rebellion leadership are now being shielded constantly by Vriska. Inform them that anyone attempting to take control will be locked away, as the culprit of this crime was locked away. That should be enough to stop anyone from getting any ideas."

Such a sad lie…but Kanaya was right. They had to tell the public something to get them reunited under one flag, and this was the best way. "Okay," Sollux rasped. "I can tell them that. I'll also need to reiterate which of you are being sent to which city, of course. EQ, NP, we need to decide where you're going. You'll have to split up, since our roster ended up a little less ideal than I would have liked."

Vriska cleared her throat awkwardly. "About that…I think we should default to your original plan. Tavros should go with Gamzee, not me."

Silence. Everyone stared in awe as Vriska Serket, cruel, vindictive troll that she was, blinked tiredly at the ground. Then, from Sollux, "What brought this on?"

"Fuck…did you not  _feel_ what we just experienced? The Signless said it himself, we're going to end up just like our ancestors if we keep on blindly following their orders."

"I thought that's what you wanted."

Vriska shuffled her feet awkwardly. "Yeah, well…maybe I don't want to know what killing Terezi feels like."

It clearly hit a little too close to home for everyone. Gamzee glanced uneasily to Eridan, who shot an identical look to Kanaya in turn. Nepeta dug her fingers into Equius's forearms.

"Yeah," she said again, awkwardly. "I just…don't think I want to go through that again. So whatever, just split us up however you want!"

It was as good an apology as Sollux was ever going to get. Those words alone told him that Vriska felt awful about what she'd said and done. "I guess we should rearrange everyone, then," Sollux said, doing Vriska a favor by drawing attention away from her obvious discomfort. "We can go back to our original plan, but tweak it a little. City three will be staffed by Feferi, Vriska, Terezi, and Aradia. City two will have Gamzee, Tavros, Equius and Nepeta. That leaves Karkat, Eridan, Kanaya, and me for city one. We'll all be split evenly."

"Woah, there," Eridan broke in. "Sol, I don't know if you've forgotten, but you're kind of in no condition to fight."

"I'll recover; I'll be fine."

"Yeah, in a few months! Sorry to break it to you, but you're gonna have to stay here while the rest of us handle the Empire."

"But—but I'm the one that started this rebellion in the first place! I have to be able to help!"

"You  _can_  help," Karkat said. "You can stay here and monitor the Empire's movements, and let us know if anything is happening that's out of the ordinary. You'll be safe, and you'll still get to play a crucial part in winning this war."

Sollux had to bite his tongue to stop from snapping back furiously. If the others were right, they only had a few days left until the Condesce arrived. They didn't have time for him to argue. "Fine. So the rest of our plan remains the same, yes? Psionics and snipers stay back, pick off Empire troops and lure them straight down the center while we attempt a flanking maneuver. All available pilots take to the skies and make sure the Empire's ships aren't able to destroy us unimpeded."

"Sounds about right," Feferi agreed. "We have to put our all into this, and this plan is the best we can do under the circumstances."

Silence fell, then, an uncomfortable pause as everyone waited for someone to break down and say the obvious. When that silence finally broke, Sollux was the one that did it. "I guess that's it, then. There's nothing else we can do but split up."

More silence, thick and wrought with tension. No one wanted to go, but…what else could they do? They had to get to their respective cities and start organizing for the attack as soon as possible. Time was of the essence.

"You'll have while to travel," Sollux pressed. "KK and I will give our speech soon, so use the time before we begin to get as far away from here as you can. You should be at the cities by the time we begin, or shortly after. Can you do it?"

Everyone exchanged glances. Then, "Consider it done." Equius took a step forward. "The drones are already programmed, so there's not really any reason for me to stay. I'll make sure my group gets there safely."

"Same here," Vriska agreed, and that confident look was finally right back in place. She smirked, "We'll be there in record time to whip that nasty little tealblood commander into shape. Don't worry about it for a moment."

Sollux nodded. "Despite myself, I trust you. Don't let this battle end in defeat."

"Oh, Sollux!" Feferi chirped, "I can't believe this is actually happening! Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine, FF," he assured her, reaching out as she reached forward for a hug. Aradia moved in as she backed off, and Sollux repeated the gesture of affection with her. "Don't get killed, okay? Take care of yourselves."

Feferi grabbed onto Aradia without a moment of hesitation. "We will. And Karkat, you have to take care of him, too!"

Karkat's expression remained deathly calm, serious. "He won't die. I won't let him."

Feferi dipped her head. "Good luck, Karkat."

"Good luck, Feferi."

Sollux watched as something passed between his matesprit and his kismesis, some unspoken vow that he'd probably never really understand. Then Feferi was turning, raising a hand, and the rest of her group flocked to her.

"See you around, candy apple!" Terezi crowed, hanging off Vriska's arm as she flashed Karkat a toothy smile.

Karkat's expression went soft and unreadable. "See you around," he echoed, but Terezi was long out of earshot by the time the words left his lips.

Gamzee came forward next to nudge at Karkat's shoulder. "You sure you're okay with me leaving you behind, brother? We still got some wicked motherfucking emotions to hash out."

"It's nothing that can't wait until this battle is over," was the strained response. "Just…stay close to Tavros. If you flip out, I won't be there to stop you."

"O-oh, um, I'll do my best to make sure that, doesn't happen!"

Gamzee's lips drew back in an easy smile. "Yeah, this cute little motherfucker has me. No worries there."

Karkat swallowed hard. "Good, then get out of here! You're wasting time getting all sentimental." But his voice broke on the last word, and Gamzee heard it.

"Aww, Karbro, it'll be okay." Gamzee ruffled his hair affectionately, dipped down to press a kiss to the top of his head right between his horns. "Just you wait, we'll reunite after this is all over and have the most  _miraculous_  motherfucking jam ever."

"Right," Karkat rasped. "Don't die, you miserable wreck."

"I'll try not to." Gamzee drew back, then, drawing Tavros up under his arm and shooting Eridan and Sollux both a meaningful glance.  _Don't let anything happen to him, or to you,_ he said silently.  _Keep each other alive._

Sollux nodded minutely.  _We will._

"Bye, Karkitty!" Nepeta chirped, even as she bounced back towards the door with the others of her group following along after her. "We'll see you after this is all over! Oh, and I hope you feel better, Sollux!"

"I'll try," Sollux said with a smile. It had been good to see her and Equius again, if only for a short while. They hadn't changed a bit. He just hoped that when all this was over, he'd see not just those two again, but  _everyone._ He desperately hoped that they'd be as lucky here as they'd been during the last battle they'd fought together, where they'd won and come together on the victory platform to greet their new life.

Nepeta waved again, Equius practically dragging her away as she made a move to go back. Gamzee tugged Tavros close, shooting one last glance over his shoulder at Karkat, who looked terribly small and lost without his moirail right there beside him.

Then, just like that, they were gone.


	41. Leap of Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karkat says goodbye to a quadrantmate, and the Condesce arrives on Alternia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, the final chapter before the battle starts! Oh man, I'm so excited for what I have planned! It's going to be a monumental task, ending a story that's been going for this long, but I hope I do the rest of the story the justice it deserves.
> 
> This week's chapter is [ Leap of Faith ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wtsk37o6K6M&t=0s&index=7&list=FLfOU6do0HHsXnPKzbSMXvYQ) by Audiomachine.

"Are you ready to do this?" Karkat asked.

Sollux looked up at Karkat, who was standing a few feet away fidgeting with his cloak. There was something very off about seeing Karkat dressed like his ancestor after the speech they'd gotten in the dream bubbles, but…he guessed it was Karkat's choice, especially seeing as he had been the only one spared from said speech.

"Sollux?" Karkat said, glancing up. "Are you okay? Seriously, if you're going to pass out you should tell me."

"No, no," Sollux said quickly. "I'll be fine." Fine other than the sharp pain in his chest that wouldn't go away, and the fact that breathing was a lot harder than it used to be. Apparently the trident had punctured a lung, and while the healers had managed to seal it up and pump the fluid out, using it to breathe wasn't as efficient as it used to be. He'd never tell Karkat that, though. It would just make him feel guilty—and as much as he loved to lord things over his kismesis, he had a feeling that this wasn't one of those things they'd be joking about anytime soon.

Karkat shot him an odd look out of the corner of his eye. "If you need to take a breath, nudge me and I'll jump in. You really shouldn't be walking around yet in the first place, but…I guess we can't put off giving this address any longer."

He was right. They had a little over two days to get their forces back in shape, and they had to act  _now._  "You're starting off, right? Or do you want me to do it?"

"I think you should probably give the initial statement," Karkat said. He'd moved on to fiddling with his hood, making sure the scarlet stitching wasn't choking up on his horns too badly. "People will probably be more inclined to listen to the guy that was stabbed than the guy that did the stabbing."

"KK…"

He didn't even glance over. "We'll hash things out with the two of us later, let's just—"

"KK,  _wait."_

Karkat paused. Looked at him, eyes glowing like embers beneath the lip of his hood. "We don't have  _time_  to wait."

"For this we do." He didn't wait for Karkat to run away, or to duck out, or to make some shit-brained excuse that would force them to reexamine the issue of Karkat's supposed guilt at a later date. Karkat had to understand, here and now, that Sollux didn't blame him for a thing. He took a step forward.

"Wha…?"

But he didn't get a chance to say anything further, because Sollux had just reached out and drawn him into a kiss that probably wasn't as black as it should have been. It was more to get his attention than anything, and he wasn't expecting the intensity with which Karkat pressed up into him.  _Searching for validation,_ Sollux recognized, because he'd felt this same dark, reaching desperation more than once himself.  _He wants to know I'm not just going to brush him off, even though I already told him I knew that it was his fault I was stabbed. And if that's what he needs…_

"KK," Sollux murmured in between the sharp, biting kisses that were being peppered to his lips. "KK, come on." Karkat delivered one last, careful little nip to his lower lip, then just let himself hang there in Sollux's arms. He hummed a little, a question without words. "I know we have to go out there and give this speech and all that, but I want you to know before it happens that I don't blame you for any of this."

Karkat tensed. "Sollux…"

"I don't blame you," he repeated. "I don't think it was your fault, I don't plan to hold any of it against you, and by the end of this I'm going to make sure that Alternia thinks the same."

"Do you really think that, though?" Karkat asked, twisting his fingers in the back of Sollux's shirt. He'd never looked so small. "Or are you just saying that so I'll give a happy little speech and hand you the rebellion back?"

"Karkat Vantas, I do  _not_ blame you! I don't know how many people have already told you this, but it wasn't your fault!"

For a moment, Karkat's expression lifted slightly—but then it fell, and he said, "I'm never going to believe it wasn't my fault, not in some capacity. But…if you're willing to forgive me, then I guess I'm willing to pretend that it wasn't my doing."

In the moment, it was the best Sollux was going to get. "One more thing."

"Hmm?"

Sollux reached out and hooked a single claw in the top of Karkat's cloak, the one that made him look so much like the Signless. "Are you particularly attached to this thing?"

"What? No, I actually kind of hate it; Eridan just made it because he thought it would help my image."

Sollux flicked his wrist once, hard, and the cloak came away in two pieces.

"Hey!" Karkat shrieked. "Sollux, oh my god, I have to run back and get another one from my room so the public will—"

Sollux clamped a hand over his mouth. "KK, I think it's time that the public stopped seeing you as the Signless."

Karkat stared at him like he'd lost his mind. "But that's the whole point! That's how we drew so many people to the rebellion in the first place!"

"Yes, well…" He thought back to the dream, where Karkat had hung by his wrists as the heat slowly ate through his flesh. "Trust me when I say that being equated to the Signless is only going to cause you pain. It's time to put an end to the façade."

"Sollux…"

He patted his kismesis on the shoulder. "Trust me. Please."

Karkat still didn't look convinced. But the plea for trust seemed to have struck home, and he gave a slow nod without any further protest. "Okay. Let's get into position, then."

Sollux let Karkat take his place first, sitting in one of the two chairs that had been set up for them, before sliding into place beside him. The camera would hit them from the chest up, and the chairs were the perfect height for framing.

"I guess it's time to do this," Karkat said.

"I guess it is. Are you ready?"

The redblood took a single, deep breath. "Yes. I am."

"Okay." Sollux nodded in the direction of the cameras, which were already broadcasting just to the communications room. Ladcai would be waiting for the signal to begin the worldwide broadcast, which Sollux had just given him. When the red light started blinking, they were on.

The light flickered once, twice, and fell into a steady rhythm. It was time.

Sollux forced himself to stop fidgeting. "Hello again," he began, even though it felt strange talking to a camera while there weren't any rebels around to react to what he was saying. "I realize that this may be a bit unexpected, or strange, even, to see the two of us back here after the unfortunate events of a few days ago. But please…even for a few minute, I ask you to stop and  _listen_  to us. I understand that in the time I was being healed, a number of factions formed among the rebels. Some of you believe that Karkat was right to stab me, that he knew something the rest of you didn't and decided to eliminate me, while others believe that he simply lost his mind and decided to betray me. Others are somewhere in between. If you put down your weapons, stop bickering, and give us a moment to explain, I'm sure we can set you straight.

"First of all, I need to make something incredibly clear—this was  _not_ Karkat's fault. To those of you that think he willingly attempted to kill me and needs to be punished, you're wrong. He may have attempted to kill me physically, but his mind was not his own."

Beside him, Karkat was stiff as a board. He wasn't even staring into the camera, just gazing at his lap in shame. No one would doubt that his shame was genuine. Karkat jumped as Sollux nudged him to take over. This part would be best coming from Karkat himself.

"I won't be able to tell you it's not my fault," Karkat rasped out, "so you'll just have to take Sollux's word for it. What I  _can_  tell you, though, is exactly what happened."

Sollux slipped a hand over his thigh, well below the view of the cameras. Karkat's fingers curled atop his.

"I don't remember it," Karkat went on in this soft, pained tone that left no room for doubt. "I never even realized what was wrong. One minute I was in my right mind, and the next I was waking up and finding my kismesis spread out across the ground in a pool of his own blood. I didn't realize until I woke up what had happened, that a troll with psychic powers had gotten into my head and taken control. She was an Empire supporter who managed to sneak her way into the mess hall for the speech, and proceeded to manipulate me into attempting to take Sollux's life. Fortunately, the former Vice Admiral was there to make sure I couldn't go through with it."

"I want to make it very clear," Sollux broke in. "The troll in question has already been apprehended and is currently being held in a detention cell in the lower levels of the underwater base. She will not have another chance to manipulate  _anyone_ , and most of the rebel commanders are now being shielded by a high-level psychic that will  _obliterate_ anyone that so much as  _tries_ to get a read on us. I also want to make it clear that Karkat could not have fought what happened. This is not his fault.  _None_ of you are to believe that this was his fault, or mine."

Karkat's claws snapped into his flesh lightly. "You don't have to believe us when we tell you this was what happened. Hell, I'm sure there are some of you who have already turned off this broadcast and decided to call us liars—and believe me, I'd understand if that's the case. I don't think I'll ever be able to convince myself that it wasn't my fault, even if my mind wasn't my own. But you don't have to believe us to understand that if you continue to bicker like this, we'll be caught with our pants down when the Condesce arrives. Contrary to what you may believe, we  _do_ still have a chance—a chance that won't last if the lot of you continue to argue. The fact of the matter is, none of the factions that have formed are entirely right. And what's more, there's no reason for those factions to exist in the first place! All of you jumped to conclusions, didn't wait for an explanation, and now the rebellion has cracked in two because of it. This is your chance to make that right.

"We understand that fighting between the factions was fierce, if somewhat disorganized, and that coming back to fight together may seem impossible. But I urge you to consider the larger picture. Please remember, before you declare that the infighting has become too intense to even consider the rebellion a single party, that you joined this group for a  _reason,_ and that that reason is on her way here as we speak. She'll arrive in only two days, assuming our calculations are correct, and when she does she'll either find us divided or united, and the difference between the two is what will either win or lose us the war. The Condesce  _wants_ this to happen. She  _wants_ us to tear each other apart, so she doesn't have to. So as much as you may hate me now, or hate Sollux, or hate each other, remember that you wanted to fight with us because you hated the Condesce  _more_.

"In effect, then, this is more of a plea from us to you. Even if you're not inclined to believe that this wasn't our doing, even if you've already decided to hold a grudge against other rebels for what they believed in, we're asking you to put that aside, if only for this one battle. Remind yourself what's at the core of your willingness to joint the rebellion. Remind yourself that if we can't pull together now, with so little time remaining, we will truly be lost. I'll end up bound at the wrists and shot, Sollux will end up as a battery aboard the flagship, the rebellion will be crushed underfoot, and the world will be returned to how it was before the rebellion began. If you want that to happen, then I urge you to continue bickering amongst yourselves. If not…your choice should be obvious. Report to one of the three military bases and help us fight."

"Our plan remains the same," Sollux jumped in. "We've sent commanders to each of the bases with detailed instructions, so we won't have to risk intelligence slipping to the Empire via this broadcast. If you want to know what you can do to help, do as Karkat said—report to the nearest base."

Karkat's grip on his hand tightened. His whole body tensed with a wracking shudder. "And…if you're concerned that there will be a repeat incident, or think that you don't want to follow leaders that were so easily tipped by psychic persuasion, I urge you to put those fears to rest. After this battle, we will step down as Alternia's leaders unless we are elected by the majority of Alternians."

Sollux glanced sharply to Karkat.  _We will? I guess…that would have been necessary either way. We already said we would have a council of trolls lead Alternia as a sort of democracy, and we can't do that unless all the councilmembers are elected. KK and I would have had to step down anyway._

"Until that time comes, though, we  _need_ you to recognize us as your leaders. You can worry about hating us or forgiving us after we've defeated the Condesce." Karkat dipped his head to the camera. "I no longer feel that I have the authority to order you to do anything. So really, I am asking you to choose. Please…make the right decision."

It rang with finality, and Sollux knew that Ladcai was already reaching to shut down the broadcast. Not a long speech, but one that would hopefully strike right into the hearts of the rebels. They didn't have time for an hour-long address anyway, not if they wanted to prepare in time to meet the Condesce. They would already need hours just to get everyone inside the bases, to travel there themselves, before they could begin setting up for the battle. Time was already against them.

Karkat reached for him, searching, and the red light flicked off just as Sollux was drawn back into a hug. Alternia had probably seen them for a split second, seen the genuine devastation that had been caused by the attack, and Sollux thought bitterly that the image would probably help their case. Most of Alternia would pity them for what had happened.

"We did it," Karkat rasped, digging his claws into the front of Sollux's shirt, pressing his horns harder than necessary against his clavicle. "That's it. The last time we'll have to address them, assuming they throw us out like the trash we are after we fight this battle."

"Yeah," Sollux agreed with a chuckle, "maybe. Let's worry about getting reelected later, though, okay? We've got work to do for now."

"Are we going to head to the military base?"

"Yeah, we are. We need to empty this place and make sure that everyone who intends to help moves to the military base. Once we're there, we'll wait about twelve hours for everyone to decide whether or not they're going to fight and which base they're going to fight for. Then we'll split everyone up and decide who's going where, and make sure we have enough pilots to man the ships we've managed to get a hold of. We'll stay in communication with the others to make sure we know they're ready, then we'll sit in wait for the Condesce's arrival. We have to remember that we have no idea exactly when she'll arrive, nor where she'll appear from."

"And once we've defeated her and wrecked her army, we'll fly up to the flagship and save the slaves," Karkat finished.

"Right." Neither of them mentioned the fact that there was the distinct possibility that they  _wouldn't_ defeat her. They weren't ready to talk about that yet. "I guess we should go pick ED and KN up."

"I guess we should," Karkat agreed, drawing back. "Hey, do you think those two have seemed a little strange around each other lately?"

_Well, Eridan did see himself as Dualscar sexually abusing her ancestor, so…_ "I think he might be after her as our auspice, but I'm not sure."

Karkat blinked. "Oh, really? I guess she has always been looking for a pair to mediate between."

"Regardless, it's not like we'll have time to worry about that until after the battle."

"I guess you're right. Quadrants shouldn't exactly be at the forefront of our minds."

Sollux knocked him in the shoulder lightly. "No, but that doesn't mean we won't have time to actually spend some time together later. I feel like we haven't had a good go-around in ages."

"Not since before I was captured," Karkat agreed, sounding somewhat wistful. "I hardly feel like you're still in one of my quadrants."

"We can fix that as soon as this battle is over and done with."

Karkat looked up at him. For the first time in forever, he almost looked hopeful. "Yeah. Yeah, let's do that."

 

* * *

 

Being able to stand in a public place without the fear of being attacked by an angry rebel was nice, Karkat found. He hadn't been in hiding for long, but still he found himself reveling in the feeling of not having to fear for his life. Not yet, at least.

After the broadcast, Karkat had waited with Sollux and the others for a few hours until nearly all the rebels filed out and marched for the military base via the system of underwater tunnels that led them into the city. Once they were sure everyone who was going leave had already left, they found Eridan and Kanaya and headed for shore together. It was possible that this was the last time they'd ever see the underwater base. At the thought, Karkat almost found himself growing sentimental.

As the four of them slowly made their way through the streets toward the military base, the evidence of the recent rebel infighting was everywhere. Patches of dried blood were sickeningly prevalent in the streets, bins were upturned, buildings were damaged…

"This is a lot more serious than I thought," Sollux murmured, and Karkat couldn't have agreed more. The good news was, there weren't any rebels fighting in the streets anymore. Either they'd all gone to the military base to help, or they were hiding out in the surrounding buildings.

As they neared the base, they started to see activity. There weren't a whole lot of rebels around, most of them presumably inside the base already, but the ones that were hanging around eyed them with a tired sort of caution. They were given a wide berth as they approached the entrance.

When the four of them walked into the base, they were immediately met with stifling silence. Rebels were packed into the place, a good thing for the rebellion but a bad thing for Karkat and Sollux, who felt as if every troll were staring them down with cold, judgmental eyes. At the very least they had this many trolls willing to give them a chance, though, and that would just have to be enough. They would make it work.

A ring of emptiness formed around them wherever they went. Even in the walk to the main room, which had once acted as the place where the military commander addressed the troops, Karkat felt at least a hundred eyes burning into him. No one said a word. They just  _watched,_ like they were waiting for something awful to happen, and let the four of them make their way toward the place where they would start to work out their plan. Finally, they arrived. The room was packed already, and only grew more crowded once they managed to pick their way to the slightly raised platform at one end.

"You made it!" Ladcai exclaimed from his position on the platform. "I held down the fort for you guys while you traveled. The others are here too, Sollux, if you care to actually speak to them for once!"

Karkat glanced over as Ladcai pointed, and found himself looking at a small group of vaguely familiar trolls. He recognized Synlan, and his twin hatchmate by extension, but the others he was a little hazy on.

Sollux sucked in a guilty breath. "Shit…I'm sorry, I know it's been a long time since I've so much as looked their way. After this we'll spend some time together."

"We'd better," Ladcai said. "I don't think Hearla ever even got the chance to thank Karkat for saving her, and Dru and Cro have been growling at you for ages about not hanging out with them."

"We'll have time soon," Sollux promised. "I really am sorry. It's just…been a hard couple of months."

Ladcai patted him on the shoulder sympathetically. "Well if it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty sure you'll be able to convince most of these trolls to fight for you. They're a little jumpy after what happened during the broadcast that shall not be named, but they seem like they want to believe that they can trust you. Just give them a rousing little address about the plan and where they should be, and they should fall right in line."

"I guess we should talk about plan specifics before we actually address the crowd," Sollux said. "Make sure we're all on the same page."

"There aren't that many specifics we can get into," Karkat pointed out. "We know we want to flank the Empire, yeah, but we don't know when or even where they'll come from."

Eridan raised his head awkwardly, calling for attention. "Well like I said, the Condesce will probably attack from the main gates of the city. She's not one for subtlety. So if you position your troops on either side of the gate and position the psionics and snipers accordingly, it won't be too hard to plan in advance. Worse comes to worst, Sol gives us a call and lets us know we need to move to meet the oncoming troops."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that. How do you suggest we divide the troops?"

"In thirds," Sollux said immediately. "One third to the front to lure the Empire troops in, and the others split on either side to flank them. All psionics will be on the back line, and all snipers will be told to scatter themselves in the surrounding buildings, and to aim carefully."

"What about the drones?"

"The drones are already split evenly between the three cities, so there won't be any issues there. As of now the Empire doesn't know that the drones are fighting against them, or that there are any left at all—I'm sure they assume that we've destroyed them all—so our best bet will be to add them to the flanking forces. They should provide a heavy dose of shock for the Empire. They were never trained to fight drones, so we can assume that we'll have a bit of an advantage while they try to sort things out."

Eridan snorted. "Good luck convincing the public that the drones aren't going to hurt them."

"They'll believe us." Sollux glanced out over the crowd, which had grown exponentially in just the few minutes they'd been talking. Everyone was waiting. "They have to."

Karkat looked up at the gathered trolls. Each and every one was watching the stage with a tense sort of expectancy, waiting to be addressed and for the situation to be explained.

"I guess we should give them the plan, then," Sollux murmured. "If we wait much longer they may decide to start fighting again."

Yeah…the tension in the room could be cut with a knife it was so thick. "You're the tactics guy, you explain it."

Sollux didn't argue in the slightest. He just nodded, brushing his fingertips across Karkat's shoulders, and moved to the front of the stage. Karkat stayed back as he started to speak to them, just giving them the general appreciative opening about actually showing up instead of continuing their attempts to rip each other's throats out in the streets. The last time he'd spoken in front of a crowd with Sollux like this, it hadn't ended well. He didn't want an encore.

"Hey," Eridan whispered, nudging Karkat as Sollux prattled on to the tense rebels. "I can tell what you're thinkin', you know. It's not gonna happen again."

He knew that it wouldn't; Vriska and Feferi had removed all traces of his desire to hurt Sollux in any capacity. Still, though…he couldn't stop replaying what had happened the last time. He couldn't stop worrying that something had been missed, that suddenly his mind would fog over and he'd lash out without being able to stop himself.

Eridan nudged him again, no doubt seeing the darkness flickering behind his eyes. "Kar, cut it out. These trolls still trust you, otherwise they wouldn't be here—and obviously  _Sol_  still trusts you, otherwise he wouldn't have his back to you right now. So take a deep breath, hold your head high, and fake confidence until it becomes real. These trolls are countin' on you."

It was probably exactly what he needed, to be firmly chastised and comforted at the same time. Eridan's words gave him the boost of will he needed to make his way up beside Sollux and stand as if he had any right to be there.

_Maybe we can actually do this,_ Karkat thought, watching the fierce intensity with which the rebels were watching them. As Sollux spoke, detailing the plan to take down their portion of the Empire troops, the nervousness of the assembled troops seemed to die down more and more, and confidence began to show among them just a bit at a time. Seeing their leaders again in person, hearing them speak as if they had everything under control…it must have been a fantastic way to convince themselves that not everything had gone to hell. Karkat hoped that the others were having just as much luck with their cities.

By the time the plan was done being explained, the rebels looked something like determined, something like eager. They appeared thankful for some kind of direction after the period of complete silence. Karkat knew the feeling.

"I suppose that's it, then," Sollux finished, glancing to Karkat. "Make sure you're with the right commander and in the right place when we give the signal, and remember that if you're in the middle, it's absolutely  _crucial_ that you hold your ground until the Empire is drawn in far enough for our plan to work. Snipers, make sure you're not too close together. Psionics, do whatever you can to keep yourself off the front lines. Pilots, keep the enemy ships off us. And whatever you do, do  _not_ get in the way of the drones. They're programmed to only attack trolls wearing Empire uniforms, but we don't want to take any chances. If we follow this plan and fight our hardest, I truly believe we can win this war—even if right now, victory seems further away than ever."

The rebels nodded as one, the dissenters drowned out by the majority's willingness to cooperate for this, their final battle, and for the first time in forever Karkat found himself truly believing that they had a chance.

 

* * *

 

In approximately one day, the Condesce would arrive.

Much to Karkat's relief, it seemed like the other cities were faring relatively well. Vriska in particular was having a bit of trouble with the tealblood commander, but overall she seemed to be whipping them into shape. It helped that Feferi was there to coach those of them that were determined to follow a tyrian. On the other hand, Equius and his group hadn't had a lick of trouble with the indigoblood commander's city. It had remained comparatively calm.

Overall, things weren't as bad as they could have been. Other than Vriska's issues with the tealblood, and the few rebels that remained violently determined to go against anything either Sollux or Karkat said, most rebels had been almost overly eager to fall right back in line. Then again, maybe that was the imminent sense of demise talking. They all knew that if they didn't band together, they'd end up crushed beneath the boot of the Condesce. Even if they hated the people leading them.

With approximately twenty-four hours left until the Condesce touched down on Alternian soil, the rebel base was busier than ever. Trolls were scrambling to make sure they were properly equipped, sharpening their weapons and padding their clothing and putting on whatever armor they had in preparation for the fight of their lives. The pilots scrambled to learn the ships they'd be expected to fly, going over the controls again and again. Most of them had flown similar models before, if not the exact same, so it wasn't as challenging as it could have been. They easily had enough pilots to man all the ships in the base. Meanwhile, the snipers scouted the areas they'd be using and made sure there was easy access up to where they wanted to perch. Psionics practiced picking targets off from afar. Those with psychic powers honed their abilities to mess with their opponents' heads. Every troll was practicing in some capacity, really, and it was enough to make the base and the surrounding area buzz with life.

While everything else buzzed, though, Karkat made sure Sollux was shoved firmly into a chair without any hope of exerting himself. Aradia wasn't here to look out for him, so he'd make sure nothing bad happened in her stead. Sollux, of course, wasn't pleased—but Karkat wasn't taking no for an answer. He made sure that the most movement Sollux made consisted of walking back and forth between monitors in the room he'd be using to survey the battle from the hundreds of security cameras all over the city. Sollux, begrudging though he was, used his time to make sure he'd be able to easily see and react to the Empire's movements. There would be no time for error on his end.

On Karkat's side, preparation pretty much meant making sure his sickles were sharpened. Nothing more. So when the last twenty-four hours arrived, and he knew that the Condesce's arrival was growing ever closer, he found himself going to Sollux for what he hoped desperately wasn't their last conversation.

It was late when he knocked on the door of Sollux's room in the base, the one he'd taken for just a few days to sleep in when he wasn't coding mercilessly.  _Really_ late, actually, with the Condesce slated to arrive sometime in the next twelve or so hours. He'd slipped away from Eridan (not an easy task, with the seadweller too jumpy to sleep for more than a half hour at a time) just for this purpose, to catch Sollux while he was too tired to code but too awake to fall asleep just yet.

"Come in, KK!" came a muffled voice from inside the room.

He blinked, surprised, and pushed the door open. "How'd you know it was me?" he asked, entering the room and sealing it behind him. Sollux was stretched out on his bed, arms crossed behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. He looked over as Karkat came in.

"Hmm…" he hummed. "Well it's the dead of night in the last twelve hours before the Condesce arrives, and I haven't yet had the pleasure of saying goodbye to my kismesis. After all, I don't think there will be much time to wish each other good luck once we see her coming. I'll be here, you'll be out in the field, and that will be that."

Wearily, Karkat stepped further into the room. Sollux moved to the side, patted the mattress, and he sat without question. "Shit, Sollux…this is actually it. The Condesce is actually going to  _get_  here. In a matter of  _hours_."

Sollux pushed himself up to sit beside him. Sighed once, tiredly. "Yeah, tell me about it. I've been planning this for four sweeps, and now I'm not even going to be there to fight."

Karkat winced. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. Really, KK.

"Right…" He leaned into his kismesis as subtly as he could.

"Hey, none of that!"

Karkat jerked back as if he'd been burned, muttering, "Sorry, sorry, I—"

"No, you idiot! You don't get to lean on me and act like you're not doing it; if you want to touch me just  _say_ so!"

He started. Then, "O-oh…right." He leaned in again, and this time he didn't hide the way he shoved his arm around Sollux's waist to hold him close. If this was the last moment he was ever going to get with his kismesis, if they all went down when the Condesce arrived, he was going to make the best of it.

Sollux seemed to understand his train of thought. He didn't resist in the least.

"Hey…Sollux?"

"Hm?"

Karkat let his head fall to rest on the psionic's shoulder. "Do you ever miss the game?"

"The game?" he echoed. "God, KK, that was so long ago…I don't really think about it anymore. Anyway, what's there to miss? Half the time we were just running for our lives, constantly fighting against the clock with the full knowledge that to fall behind would be to accept death."

"Yeah…I guess you're right." Things had been so different back then, though. They'd still been afraid, yes, but they'd been afraid for different reasons. Easier reasons. Back then, Karkat had at least had the comfort of his quadrantmates without any of their future horrors. He'd had no idea that Eridan would end up taking him to be tortured. He'd had no idea that Sollux would end up lying to him for sweeps and ultimately getting him captured. Something about that time, the time before everything had really gone to hell, just seemed so glamorous now.

"KK…do  _you_  ever miss the game?"

He hesitated, defenses immediately trying to slam up as they approached the realm of vulnerability. But…this was okay. He wasn't going to have what could be his last conversation with Sollux be guarded and defensive. "I think I miss everything about the past," he said finally. "Even though it wasn't that much better. I guess it's true, what they say about the grass and its level of pigmentation. I just…never thought things would end up like this."

He felt Sollux sigh. "Neither did I. I really thought we'd open that door and become gods, have our own world to shape as we liked. I guess that's the point of this rebellion, though. To create our own world."

"Yeah, but…doesn't it ever bug you that it isn't the reality we would have had? It isn't the world we would have gotten to live in if the door had just opened the way it was supposed to, and it never will be. No matter what we do, no matter how hard we fight, it's always going to be something different. Something less than we deserve."

"KK…"

"Maybe that's stupid," he said quickly, trying to amend the admittedly dark thought he'd just let slip. "I know we can't change what happened in the past, and that all we can do now is whatever the fuck we can to make sure the future turns out the way we want it, but…that doesn't change the fact that we lost something important."

"God, KK, it's not stupid! You're definitely not the only one who thinks that way, I can tell you that right now, so don't put yourself down for it. I'm pretty sure every single one of us has had that thought at one point or another, wishing that things had gone differently and we'd all been able to stay together without having to hide out underground or kiss the Condesce's ass. But it's like you said—we don't have the power to change the past, so we just have to fight to turn this world into the one we would have been given had that door opened up for us."

He was right, of course. Gamzee would have said the same thing, if he'd still been with him.

"It'll be okay," Sollux promised. "Even without my incredible psionic skills, I'm sure you and the rest of the rebels will be able to pull through. And once you do, we can get to work on creating that world meant just for the twelve of us, and extend it so that every single troll has a place."

Karkat pressed his cheek to Sollux's shoulder. "I hope so. Fuck, Sollux, I  _really_  hope so."

"Don't worry, KK. The Empire won't get their hands on you again."

That…was the other thing. One of the reasons he'd wanted to talk to Sollux in the first place. "I know they won't. I'm not going to let them."

"That's the spirit."

"No, Sollux—I'm  _literally_ not going to let them."

Sollux frowned. "KK…what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that if it comes down to it, and I know I'm about to be taken by the Empire, I'm not going to let them take me alive."

He jolted with alarm, snapping, "What is that supposed to mean? You'll let them kill you?"

Karkat made a soft, noncommittal noise. It was difficult, explaining it, but…he thought he'd decided long ago that he would rather die than be sent back to the Empire with no hope of escape. "If we get to that point and the Empire would rather kill me than take me prisoner again, I'll lean into my death with open arms. But if it becomes clear that I'm going to be taken prisoner, I'll do the job myself."

"You can't be serious."

"You weren't fucking  _there,_ Captor, you don't know what it's like to be shoved around as a slave on the flagship. I won't go back there, even if it means offing myself."

"KK…what would that do to Eridan? To Gamzee?"

"Ideally they would join me."

Sollux didn't seem to know what to say to that. For a long while he just sat there, brushing a hand absentmindedly through Karkat's wiry nest of hair as he puzzled through an appropriate response. Then, finally, "Why are you telling me this?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. I can't tell Gamzee without him wanting to rush back here and protect me, and I can't tell Eridan without him deciding to throw himself in front of me at every available opportunity. So I guess I needed to tell  _someone,_ and you were the only one left I could trust."

"And what if I decide to go straight to Eridan and tell him? Ask him to keep an eye on you?"

"I'm not going to answer that, because we both know you won't. You of all people should understand why I have to do this."

He cringed, no doubt remembering the flickers he'd had of his ancestor. "Yes, but…"

"It's not like I'm just going to be  _looking_ for opportunities to get killed," Karkat said quickly. "I'd rather live, thank you very much. I'm just saying that  _if. If_  something were to happen. I'd rather be dead than a slave."

Karkat could practically feel Sollux's conflict, but he knew that his kismesis wouldn't be telling anyone. That wasn't his job. And sure enough, it didn't take long for Sollux to slump defeatedly against him. "I guess that just means we'll have to work extra hard to make sure that you don't end up in a situation that would make that a necessity," he said.

"If that's how you want to treat this, then yes."

Sollux shook his head lightly. His hair rasped along Karkat's cheek. "Shit. KK…I really hope that this doesn't end up with  _any_  of us dead. I hope things never get to that point."

Karkat didn't say anything, just tipped his head against his kismesis with a heavy sigh.

"Geez," Sollux muttered, "this got depressing fast. Do you want to talk about something else for a while?"

"Fuck yes. Seriously." Feeling depressed right before a battle wasn't going to help him.

So talk about something else they did, leaning on each other until eventually they ended up just lying side by side in a bed that was just a little too small for two. Words eventually petered off into silence, leaving the two to just stare quietly up into nothing, reveling in closeness they hadn't been able to enjoy in months. Karkat couldn't get his mind off the thought that this was  _it._ After this battle, he'd either be dead, or living in a new world with new rules and no more Condesce. The thought only made him cling harder to this moment, where he could lie side by side with Sollux and just wait.

When the time finally came for him to leave, their calculations put the Condesce's arrival at about six hours. He needed to get back to Eridan, to make sure they were together when the troops started to move out, but…he just didn't want to go.

Luckily, Sollux seemed to sense it was time as well. He would need to get down to the control room soon. "It's okay," he said quietly. "It's time."

Karkat let himself have one more moment, where he held tight to Sollux and closed his eyes to the world. But soon enough he was being pushed gently towards the edge of the bed, and he let himself be maneuvered so he was sitting on the side of the thing. Sollux got up beside him, then tugged him to his feet. His expression was perfectly stoic.

The two faced each other, quiet. Then, "I guess this is it."

Karkat swallowed hard. "I guess it is. Sollux…good luck."

"I should be the one telling you that," he joked, patting him on the arm. "You're the one that's going to be in combat. So here, I'll make you a deal—you do your best and stay alive, and I'll do the same. Does that sound fair?"

Despite himself, his lips quirked up in a smile. "Sounds fair to me." Then, for added measure, "Asshole."

"Fuckhead."

"Shitface."

"Grubfucker!"

"Nooklicker!"

Karkat broke off with a snort. "Okay, okay—we've both made our points! I'll just…see you around. Okay?"

"Yeah, KK. I'll see you around."

 

* * *

 

"Remember the plan," Eridan was saying for the thousandth time, as Karkat listened with frustration blossoming in his chest. "We're going to be in the group that lures the Empire in, so we have to hold our own as the troops come up on us. We stay close, hold our fire, and wait to give the signal until they've come far enough into our trap."

Karkat groaned. "Eridan, I  _know!_  You've told me twenty times in the past five minutes!"

"But what if you forget, or somethin' goes wrong?"

"Eridan,  _nothing will go wrong_. Not with that part of the plan, at least. I'm not going to forget to stay close to you. We've got to protect each other, right?"

"Always, Kar." The look on his face made Karkat's chest ache with pity. He was  _so_  goddamn devoted,  _so_  determined to see this through, and it  _hurt_. "We're not goin' to let anythin' happen to either of us. That's our promise."

"Yes," he agreed for the thousandth time, "and we need to remember to watch  _Kanaya's_ back too. Okay? And the rest of the rebels."

Eridan's expression took on a soft, affectionate sort of glow. "Oh, of course! Kan isn't goin' to be in any danger as long as we're around. And we'll stop the rebels from dyin' as much as we can."

"Exactly," Karkat said. "And once we've won, we come back here and spend as much time together as we want. We can even go back to your old place if you like. Spend a night watching those shitty movies I always used to love."

Eridan's face lit up. "Yeah. Yeah, Kar, that'll be perfect!"

"Then we'd better make sure it actually happens."

The seadweller nodded dutifully, looking every bit the former Vice Admiral he was. He wasn't wearing all the flashy jewelry he used to take into battle when he was younger, but the cape was just as flamboyant as ever. Plus, his pants could probably blind an enemy at five miles. In all fairness he probably should have been included with the snipers, hiding out in the surrounding buildings, but he'd decided that he'd rather stick close to Karkat and use the close-range setting on his gun.

"Hey, Kar, are you goin' to put on your cloak?"

He tensed. Sollux had told him that he shouldn't dress like the Signless anymore, and he'd decided to listen. "I, um…"

"It's okay if you aren't," Eridan said quickly. "I…actually kind of think it's better that you don't look like your ancestor anymore."

The tension bled out of him in a heartbeat. "Yeah, I agree. You'll just have to watch my back extra hard to make up for the absence of the thing."

"I was already goin' to do that, thank you very much!"

Karkat laughed and opened his mouth, ready for a teasing retort, but it never came. Because the moment he tried, the military base suddenly lit up with sirens.

The sirens were loud and blaring, flashing red lights accompanying the sounds as they pulsed once, twice, three times, before the intercoms flicked on all over the city.

Karkat and Eridan locked eyes. They knew what that meant.

_"Attention all rebel troops! The Condesce's fleet has been picked up on the scanners about one hour inbound. Please report to your predetermined posts. Contact is imminent. I repeat, contact is imminent. Move out!"_

The voice was so garbled, so scrambled, that Karkat could hardly tell it was Sollux. But he  _could_ tell, and the sound of it made his chest ache. Sollux repeated the message as Karkat just stared, the majority of the rebels around him surging toward the doors.

"Guess we should find Kan and get movin'," Eridan said softly, uncertainly. "This is really happenin'."

Karkat didn't say a thing. He just reached up, snagged Eridan around the back of the neck, and drew him down for a brief kiss. "I pity you," he rasped. "No matter what happens."

Eridan's lips curved into a smile. "Pity you too, Kar. Let's get through this together, and make it to that world we should have been given all those sweeps ago."

Karkat nodded. "Together."

Then, with Sollux's voice still resonating over the intercoms, they moved side by side to meet their fate.


	42. Radiant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle against the Empire's forces commences, and Sollux is forced to make a difficult decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've done that thing where I stared at this chapter until nothing I did made me happy, so I'm putting down the keyboard and saying that this is it! It's a bit high pressure ending a story that's so long and involved, you guys, seriously! I'm having heart palpitations just thinking about how the conclusion is planned out. Still, I'm really excited to wrap this thing up. I have a lot of irons in the fire in different fandoms right now, so it'll be nice to get this one all squared away so I can focus on writing my next few stories.
> 
> This week's chapter is [ Radiant ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hnjHmkhZrY) by Audiomachine. And seriously, listen to the music for the last few chapters! It'll add a lot to the battle scenes, and give you an idea of what different tones I'm going for.

The city was silent around them, as they took their positions to wait for the incoming Empire troops. Not a sound was heard, not among the thousands of troops that had gathered to fight there that day. Around them Karkat saw hundreds of rebels waiting, spread out just enough to avoid friendly fire, to draw in the Empire. All quiet, all staring with impeccable focus toward the place where the troops would most likely appear. To the right, somewhere Karkat couldn't quite see, there were hundreds more waiting to perform the flanking maneuver. To the left, the same. In the buildings all around them, windows were cracked open to accommodate the snipers. In elevated positions not too far off, psionics and psychics alike waited to crush their enemies underfoot. Drones stood inert in the shadows.

Everything was prepared. All they could do now was wait.

The only thing that broke the silence was Sollux, making frequent announcements via the earpiece held by Karkat, Eridan, Kanaya, and several other commanding officers around the city. Currently he was reporting that the flagship was staying in place, as planned, and that smaller ships were being dispatched to drop off enemy troops a short distance from the city. As was such, the rebel ships were prepared to disembark soon.

Karkat felt long, cool fingers envelop his as Sollux continued his report. Eridan pressed to his back, tense and waiting. At his right side Kanaya watched silently, tube of lipstick clasped tight in one hand. At his left was Ladcai, with Sollux's original team of rebels not far behind, including that small orange-blooded psionic that had saved Sollux's life after his stabbing.

Everyone he knew and cared about, everyone he pitied and hated, would take part in this battle. This city or one of the others, it didn't matter. This battle risked everything, and would either win them the world or lose them their lives. He was having a hard time grasping the gravity of it all.

But that didn't matter. Not now, as Sollux reported that the enemy ships had touched down and were spitting out the Condesce's soldiers. Not when those soldiers were marching, in perfect military formation, towards the city. Not when they still had no mark on the Condesce herself.

_"They're nearing the city gates,"_ Sollux informed them via earpiece.  _"They'll be in sight in a matter of minutes, but it appears they're following the plan we thought they would. They're storming the city directly."_

After that, there was silence. Then more of it, thick and heavy. Until just like that, something gleamed on the horizon.

Eridan sucked in a harsh breath. "There they are."

The Empire troops were impeccably dressed, impeccably organized, and impeccably  _terrifying_. Grimly, Karkat wondered if Rohdan was among them.

They grew closer. Then closer still, until Karkat could see them clearly from his position at the front of the group. "Hold," he murmured, mostly to himself. "We have to wait until they're well within the city gates."

So they waited. They waited until they drew closer, then closer still, until they were staring them down with fierce determination.

"They're almost close enough to start using long range weapons," Kanaya whispered. "We have to attack soon."

He knew it. The longer they waited, the more of a chance there was that the Empire troops would just start firing on them from a distance.  _Sollux…give the signal. They're close enough_.

The Empire troops stopped as one. Thousands of them. All lined up, ready to kill at the drop of a hat. As the rebels watched, the soldiers with long range weapons (who had all been placed at the front) raised said weapons and took aim at the rebels. Too many of them. Far too many. They were also positioned directly between the two other groups of rebels, though—and they didn't even know it.

There was a moment, then. Just one moment, where the rebels and the Empire stared each other down, face to face, weapons drawn, just waiting. One moment where Karkat watched, Eridan tense against his back, Kanaya looking on stoically at his right, for the moment when it would all go to hell. In that moment, it was almost peaceful. It almost felt natural, like this was something that had always been fated to happen. In that moment…Karkat had never been so sure that this was where he was supposed to be.

But then that moment was over, as the intercoms all over the city flared once, loudly, and the signal was given.

The Empire troops fired, the rebels surged forward, the drones whirred to life, and the world descended into chaos.

 

* * *

 

"We're going to do this," Vriska hissed, watching the Empire troops march closer and closer. Everyone was in position on her end, even that stubborn tealblood commander. "We're going to win, and then we're going to take back what the game stole from us."

Beside her, Terezi was grimly silent. A hand came to rest on her shoulder. At her other side, Aradia and Feferi waited in equal anticipation. Everything they'd fought for had come down to this, and they knew it. This battle had been building since they'd been thrown into the game.

"I'm ready," Vriska whispered, so quietly that Terezi probably couldn't hear her, standing firm in preparation for the attack. There was no signal. Here, she'd ordered her troops to simply attack the instant the first line of soldiers reached a certain point. They were rapidly approaching that point.

The world went tense and silent as the soldiers stepped closer, one bit at a time. Three more steps. Two. One. Then that first soldier stepped over that line, the first of thousands, and a collective cry of determination rippled from every rebel as they charged as one.

 

* * *

 

_"Now!"_

Nepeta darted forward at the signal, leaping from her vantage point and onto the shoulders of the nearest Empire troop, claws going for his throat and ripping it out in a spray of purple blood before he knew what was happening. She snapped out of the way long before those around him figured out what was happening, just as the others of her team charged forward to help her, and immediately the neat lines of Empire troops were thrown into disarray.

_Highbloods are powerful,_ she reminded herself,  _but most of them are purr-etty slow. I should have the advantage here!_ She swept out of the way as a random blow was thrown her way by some flailing troop. All around her rebels were battling, screeching with determination as they came in from both sides in a fierce ambush. Somewhere at the front of the attack, she knew Equius was fighting. She wanted to make it back to him as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, there were hundreds of rebel troops in her way.

She threw herself back into the fray without a second thought. The Empire troops were actually staggering, actually surprised, and they had to take advantage of that surprise for as long as they could. The drones, especially, were a godsend. Equius's programing was impeccable. Unfortunately they were even slower than most highbloods, which meant that they weren't as efficient as some of the quicker rebels such as herself. While the Empire soldiers reeled, she took advantage of that speed to dart in and out of flailing bodies, slicing her claws up and down whatever parts of her enemies she could reach. She needed to do as much damage as possible.

Her ears pricked up at the feel of the air around her shifting.  _Slow,_ she chastised silently, launching herself straight up as the incoming blow whistled beneath her.  _Sloppy._ She came back down on the weapon that had been thrown her way—a sword, blunt and larger than life—and shot her entire body back into the troll that had just tried to cut her in half. Said troll was unarmed, and toppled back with a surprised yelp as Nepeta knocked into her and slammed her flat against the ground. _Careless._  A twist of the body, a flick of the wrist, and muddy teal blood sprayed across the ground. Nepeta leapt back, another few rebels appeared out of nowhere to finish the job, and she darted off into the throng of fighting trolls to continue her search for Equius. They'd had to split up, seeing as the quickest trolls were assigned to the surprise attack and the slowest were assigned to the front lines, but she wasn't going to keep staying away.

The Empire troops were already beginning to recover from their shock, Nepeta noticed with a sinking stomach. They were outnumbered by the rebels, by the sheer number of lowbloods, rebel highbloods, and drones, but how long would that last? Now that the Empire soldiers were overcoming their momentary lapse of concentration, already the battle was becoming more chaotic. Nepeta heard the crunch of breaking bones grow louder as she plunged into the heart of the storm. Felt blood spray across her skin, blood that wasn't hers.

_This is going to be a nightmare._  She'd known it before, in the back of her mind, but now that she was actually there, actually twisting through the cluster of snarling, snapping trolls, it was  _so_  much worse than she'd imagined. Everything was a jumble of chaos and blood, like an army of rainbow drinkers had just slashed about a half-dozen victims each—and the battle had hardly begun.

_Woah!_  A drone nearly trampled her in a stagger caused by a highblood's strike, and she had to leap out of the way quickly to avoid immediate death. Someone screeched, rebel or Empire troop she knew not, and she knew that someone else hadn't been as lucky. Something warm and slick clung to her lashes, slid down her face.  _Equius. Gotta find Equius._

Nepeta yelped suddenly as claws snapped into her ankle and yanked her out of midair like a leaf. She hit the ground stomach-first, choked on a breath, and barely had the sense of mind to roll to one side before a foot came crashing down where her head had been moments before. Quickly she got on her back, rolling her entire body like a wave in a practiced motion to get herself back on her feet.

There was a tealblood in front of her, a girl only slightly larger than Nepeta herself but with considerably more muscle. She had no weapon, but a pair of gloves fitted with what looked like razor blades—and she swiped them at Nepeta before she really had a chance to steady herself.

The oliveblood yelped in surprise as one of those gloves just barely managed to graze her shoulder. It stung. Not anywhere  _near_  lethal, but enough to patch her shirt with blood. A snarl broke the air. She flashed her own claws and shot forward, twisting, and the two locked together.

As much as she'd used to be an excellent fighter, she hadn't fought an actual troll in a long time. Prey, yes—and maybe in principle the two weren't so different—but something about the situation was making her uneasy. She dodged when her opponent swung, leapt when she went for her ankles, swept forward when she saw an opening. Mechanical and fluid all in one. In a matter of minutes, olive and teal blood was spattered along the both of them.

Nepeta winced as the blades shrieked along her claws, made of an organic substance and much more fragile by comparison. They weren't attached to her; it wouldn't hurt if they broke, but it would be tough equipping another set in the middle of a battle. This had to end  _now_.

She was used to fighting with claws, which ended up being a lot like using weaponized gloves. They were formidable weapons if you knew their strengths, their weaknesses—and Nepeta happened to know both. There was one surefire way to win.

A slight twist and a step took her just out of reach of her opponent, who immediately attempted to follow.  _No. You're not coming any closer._  Nepeta slipped forward, kicked the tealblood in the chest, then reeled back just far enough to be out of reach yet again.

The tealblood took the bait. She lunged, fingers stretched in an attempt to get the gloves as close to Nepeta as possible, still staggering back at the same time, and just like that both her wrists were exposed and overextended. The protective padding had ridden up in her eagerness to attack.

One, two swipes, and the tealblood's hands were clean off. Three swipes, and her throat was ripped clean open.

Nepeta moved on.

After that, it didn't take long for the point of initial contact to come into view. Equius had to be somewhere around here, fighting with Gamzee and Tavros not too far behind. And sure enough, in a matter of minutes Nepeta saw a familiar flicker of arrow-shaped horns through the throng of fighting trolls. She darted that way, and was there in a snap.

"Equius!" she chirped. There were two Empire troops grappling with him, two troops sprayed with equal parts purple and blue, and she set herself upon them with a shriek. Her right claws plunged into the back of one, her left into the other. Equius put them down with two good punches while they were still trying to get a look at who had stabbed them.

Equius blinked down at her the moment they were gone. Not a moment to spare, though, before more Empire troops were coming out of nowhere and throwing them back into battle.

"Nepeta!" he called from his position, where some random troll was trying to gore him with his horns. "Are you unharmed?"

She called back with a grin, "I'm fine! And you…?"

"I haven't been touched."

She had to stop herself from jumping up and down excitedly. If she did, her opponent would have an easy opening to stab her right through the heart with that nasty-looking spear.  _Focus, Nepeta! You're together now, so nothing will go wrong!_

A flash of indigo caught her attention as she slipped to one side and cut through the hilt of the spear with a three-clawed strike. Gamzee was there, towering above the battlefield with his added foot and a half of horn-height, Tavros pressed close at his back. The two were incredible; even as she fought she could see it. Apparently Tavros's military training had done him good, because he wasn't hesitating in the least as he guarded Gamzee's back, darting this way and that and using his lance to deflect any blows that rained in unexpectedly from the throng of trolls around them. On the other side of the equation, Gamzee looked almost alarmingly sober in the way he cracked his clubs down on whoever dared to contend with him.

Nepeta tried not to focus on the bodies that were already building up. Equius had asked all healers to spend their time flitting around and doing whatever they could to help the injured, but there wasn't anything that could be done to help those that were already dead. And it was alarming how many trolls were already dead. Fortunately, there appeared to be almost the same amount of Empire troops lying motionless. Not the same amount exactly, but close enough for them to maintain their numbers. For now.

"Nepeta, stay close to me!"

She jumped as Equius cracked a fist into a troll Nepeta hadn't even seen coming, killing him in an instant. "T-thanks, Equius…"

He nodded grimly, turning to the next opponent. "We watch each other's backs. Do  _not_ get separated."

"Yes, of course!"

Another wave of soldiers appeared out of nowhere, and the two were thrown back into battle.

 

* * *

 

Eridan narrowed his eyes at the battlefield as he shouldered Ahab's Crosshairs, firing again and again at the oncoming Empire troops. Every shot picked off another one, either killing them entirely or blasting off one of their limbs so someone else could finish them off. He was managing to keep up a relatively safe circle around Karkat and Kanaya, making sure the two of them were never too overwhelmed. They were lucky to have him, someone who had seen this kind of combat before. He knew exactly how to act. How to remain unfazed as bodies piled up around them.

"Kar, on your right!"

Karkat whirled around just in time to catch an incoming troll on his sickles, flinging him over for Kanaya to rip apart with her chainsaw. A flash of silver and then he was turning, sickles already out and ready to receive the next opponent. He looked terrifying, the perfect picture of explosive rage and untouchable ferocity.

Kanaya, at his other side, was the exact opposite. She moved with purpose, with poise and elegance, every single twitch of her weapon causing just as much damage as she intended and no more. There was no sign of fury in her eyes, only cool determination. She knew exactly what she was doing.

_Stay focused,_ he reminded himself, picking off a tealblood that was getting a little too close to Karkat.  _You gotta watch your own back here, plus Kan and Kar's. You can do this._

As if on cue, he heard the telltale whistle of a troll approaching him from behind. A step, a turn, and a pull of the trigger later, said troll was staggering backward with a shriek, only to be jumped on by another rebel and put down. Around Eridan, where he had the power of the Crosshairs to make sure things weren't getting too far out of hand, the battle was going something resembling  _well_. Down the road, though, things were looking a little more tough. Even with the drones doing their best, the Empire was extremely powerful. Rebels were picked off right and left by the more dangerous highbloods. Plus, Eridan had a feeling that they were just seeing the beginning here. The ground troops were fighting with all their strength, but what about the sky? Surely the Empire ships were almost ready to be released.

And of course…there were the elephant in the room. The Condesce herself. If they wanted to win, she had to go—and as of yet, she hadn't even deigned to show her face. She probably didn't think it was worth her entering the battle. Once she did, though…

Eridan shuddered, jerking back to the present just in time to catch a few incoming bluebloods as they threw themselves at some of the nearby rebels. He kept firing, over and over, putting down as many troops as he could. In the buildings above, guns flashed as the snipers took down who they could. Psionic energy crackled overhead.

Sollux's voice fizzed over the earpieces suddenly.  _"I'm picking up a series of small Empire ships approaching the battlefield, most likely to provide support from the air. I'm dispatching the rebel fighters as we speak."_

Minutes later, as Eridan worked hard to keep up the pace, he heard the fighters screech overhead. Empire ships, meant specifically for attacking targets on the ground. Each one was manned by a single pilot, specially trained to be ruthless and bloodthirsty, and entirely dismissive of their own life.  _This isn't good. They won't fire directly at their own troops on the ground, not unless they're desperate, but what about the snipers? If we can't keep those ships away from us, we could have a catastrophe on our hands._

There wasn't time to think about that now, though, not when he had to focus on keeping his friends alive. His matesprit and…future auspice? Maybe? Whatever the case, their lives were at least partially in his hands. He wouldn't let them down.

"Eridan!"

The seadweller jerked as a sickle went screeching past his head, slicing into an indigoblood Eridan hadn't heard coming. The troll staggered, Eridan wrenched the sickle out of his chest, and the next moment he was exchanging the Crosshairs for his trident and jabbing the points through his throat. The body crashed to the ground to join the others; Eridan tossed the sickle back to Karkat. He caught it by the handle and flipped it to slash at his current opponent.

"Keep your head in the battle, idiot!" Karkat snapped furiously, even as he leapt cleanly to one side to avoid a blow that would have cleaved him in two.

_He's cut,_ Eridan realized, seeing the spatters of bright red on Karkat's cheek.  _When did that happen? I didn't even notice._

"Eridan, fucking  _focus!"_

He snapped out of it with a hiss, just in time to hear his matesprit yelp as claws caught his forearm and cut straight through the fabric of his sweater.  _Oh, hell no._

Eridan managed about one lurching step forward before Kanaya, having the same idea, lashed out with a screech of fury and slashed her chainsaw once up the opposing troll's back. Blue sprayed everywhere, the chainsaw revved with increasing fervor, and Eridan finally completed that step and stabbed his trident through the same wound Kanaya had just opened up.

"Kar!" Eridan cried as the troll thudded to the ground. "Are you—hey!" He choked off the final word as an Empire troop fell on him, another dropping on Kanaya simultaneously. Karkat was lost to him beneath a swarm of highbloods.  _Fuck, I shouldn't have put away the Crosshairs! It's too late to get it out now, they've gotten too close…_

Finally managing to right himself, he looked forward to see an indigoblood staring him down with a vicious leer. A single, massive club was held between two hands. He desperately wanted to look over, to make sure that Kanaya and Karkat were holding their own, but all such thoughts were lost the instant the indigo took a step toward him and raised his club.

_Fuck._

Eridan sidestepped; there was no way he was blocking a weapon like that with his trident. Still not enough room to withdraw the Crosshairs, though. He was forced to dance to one side to avoid being squashed like a bug as the hulking highblood  _just_   _kept coming_. Another dodge, then another, and finally he was too slow.

It wasn't a serious blow, really, feeling the edge of the club clip his side, but it was enough to send his entire right half exploding in a ball of white-hot, fiery pain. Those were his fucking  _gills!_  The highblood knew that, of course, grin widening as he swung again, knowing that Eridan's movement had just become a bit more limited. Dodging became a chore as his body protested the movement.

_Gotta end this as soon as possible!_ But trying to get in close was impossible with that club swinging every which way, and he had no chance of gaining enough room to go for a shot with the Crosshairs. He brandished his trident with false confidence. Yeah, it was absolutely impossible to stop a full-on blow from the club. The thing would snap the trident like a toothpick.

_Think, think, think! Come on, Ampora, what would literally anyone else do in this situation? Anyone smarter than you. Feferi? What would Feferi do? Oh, of course! She would—_

_Bang!_

Eridan jumped, nearly scared straight out of his own skin, as a bullet suddenly ripped through the arm of the indigoblood. One of the snipers, and just in time; Eridan used the opening to lunge forward and draw the points of his trident over the bullet wound, widening it further and sending him reeling back in pain.

_Bang!_

Another bullet, this one in the shoulder, and Eridan surged forward with a shriek to drive his trident as far as he could into the indigoblood's stomach. Not far, unfortunately, due to what seemed to be a thick layer of padding and armor. He yanked his trident back and tried again, deeper this time, and the troll  _roared._

One more shot rang out, and the indigo staggered. Blood dripped down the back of his neck, where the bullet had found home. He stumbled. Choked on a breath. Then Eridan took his chance to attack just one last time, driving the points of his trident home in the damaged part of his neck.

This time there was no recovery. The troll staggered again, groaned, and fell with a loud thump. Not quite dead, but well on his way there.

Eridan swung frantically to where he'd last seen Karkat. "Kar! Kan!" The Crosshairs were back in his hands before he even had the chance to think about it, and he was raising them to pick off the Empire troops separating him from his current quadrantmate and potential future quadrantmate. He caught a flicker of scarlet through the throng.  _Not_ a good sign. If there was red, there was blood.

He kept firing, and then there he was. Karkat was cornered, bristling with fear and determination as two large tealbloods bore down on him at once. There was scarlet caked onto the side of his face now, as if he'd taken a nasty slice. A patch of material on the side of his shirt was a little darker than black.

"Kar!" he called again, more frantically this time. "Fuck, hold on!" One shot, and the first tealblood recoiled as plasma seared a hole through her right thigh. Two shots, and the other one spluttered out a shocked sound through the blood spattering from her mouth. Karkat threw himself forward in a frantic spray of teal and scarlet and dug his sickles into first one victim, then the other, drawing back hard until the throats of both trolls were ripped clean out.

Eridan was there in a heartbeat. "Kar, oh my god, your face—!"

Karkat pushed him off. "We're in the middle of a battle, idiot! I'm fine; worry about Kanaya!"

Oh, fuck— _Kanaya._ He whirled around, but Karkat was already there. He launched himself at one of the Empire troops attacking Kanaya and threw said troop to one side, as Eridan took aim and killed another with a single shot through the chest. Then Kanaya was emerging, red top only slightly stained with a muddy sort of green, and swinging her chainsaw in a circular motion to fend off any remaining troops.

Overhead, the ships were finally clashing. It was as Eridan suspected—the Empire was gunning for the surrounding buildings. Luckily it seemed as if Sollux's pilots were skilled enough to keep the Empire distracted. Ships painted with bright scarlet streaked across the horizon, circling the fleet ships and drawing their fire while others came in from behind and fired on them in turn.

"Watch the skies!" Eridan called as a piece of debris flew past his head to stick in the side of one of the surrounding buildings. He ducked mid-attack as a chunk of metal nearly struck him in the head.

The world heaved around him, bristling with motion and fear and determination. On all sides there were rebels and Empire troops at each other's throats, drones flashing their laser guns and their culling forks, ships screeching in the sky. If he hadn't been in situations like this before, with the world churning and the spray of blood around him and the screams from other trolls permeating his brain, he would have been sick. As it was, he was cold. He kept his heart firmly locked away as he pulled blindly at the trigger of his weapon.  _Karkat,_ though.  _Karkat_ was the one he had to protect. He'd never seen anything like this, had no idea what to expect. He was probably reeling.

…Or not, because suddenly Karkat was the one suddenly shoving him hard out of the way and curving a blow into the ground that was meant to rend him in two.

"You won't last a fucking minute if you can't focus on what's in front of you!"

He cringed. "Sorry, Kar."

"Don't be sorry, be  _alive!"_

"I will! I promise!" Eridan raised the Crosshairs, squinted at the battlefield through his glasses, and redoubled his efforts to keeping his matesprit safe.

 

* * *

 

Vriska stood firm in the center of the battlefield, decked out in a full set of Mindfang's armor and raising hell to match. She'd created a ring of bodies around her that kept growing taller as more and more Empire troops threw themselves on her sword. She was at an advantage here; she knew exactly how each of these troops had been trained. She knew what strategies to use to get under their armor, their weapons. She felt untouchable.

A short distance away, Terezi was wreaking just as much havoc. She was using a pair of those mechanical wings she loved so much, flying low over the heads of her enemies and dealing glancing blows here and there, just incapacitating troops and letting rebels finish them off while they were still reeling. She probably hadn't killed a single troll herself, but she'd been responsible for dozens of deaths. Unfortunately it seemed like they were losing just as many rebels as Empire troops. Not everyone was as skilled as Vriska herself. Not everyone had received proper training, especially not the children among them.

Across the battlefield, Feferi was holding her own as well. Vriska couldn't see her well, but what she could see looked like pure chaos. Feferi was stronger than most of the Empire troops due to her blood, was expertly trained in combat, and the Empire was leery of her to begin with because of her connection to the Condesce. There were some troops that she just mowed down while they were too shocked to take a swing at her. The perfect weapon.

Aradia was taking much the same approach as Vriska. Hunker down in one spot and just  _slash_ until a path was cleared. Her eyes were glowing rust red, hands emanating telekinetic energy as she tore and hacked at her opponents. Holding her own, but not without struggle. Currently she was working to stop an indigoblood from taking her head off with his claws.

Overall, the battle was… _equalized,_ almost. For every highblood that was taken down at least one rebel was killed in their place—more than one in many cases, especially in the case that a few children tried to gang up on an adult. The battle just seemed to be in a sort of limbo. Vriska wasn't sure how long they'd been fighting. It couldn't have been longer than an hour, but time had extended to make only a second feel like years. One thing was for sure, though, and that was that the longer the battle took, the more likely it was that one side was going to crack. Eventually, all the drones would be taken out. Eventually, exhaustion would set in. They had to make sure the Empire was wrecked before then. And the instant the Condesce appeared, they would need to rush her down and slaughter her.

It was just a matter of holding out until then.

The battle in the sky was another matter entirely. Vriska didn't have much time to spare in order to take it all in, but it appeared to be going about the same as the battle on the ground. Stalemate, for now. Rebel ships and Empire ships flanked each other in the sky, whirling and turning and firing and tearing each other apart whenever they got the chance. Debris fell to the ground at every turn.

_We just have to keep fighting until the Condesce shows up. We kill her, the Empire surrenders and recognizes Feferi as the new Empress, who will then pass command off to us. Or…we think that's what will happen. Things might end up being a little more complicated than that._

Whatever the case, worrying wouldn't help now. All Vriska could do was what she was already going—tear through the Empire forces with all her strength. Maybe if she killed fast enough, the balance of rebels to Empire troops would remain more consistent. She could only hope.

Suddenly, her earpiece buzzed. Then the troll she'd appointed to watch from the control room was calling,  _"I advise you attempt to push forward, Commander! The Empire forces seem to be trying to drive you straight back here; you can't let that happen! Push the Empire back to the gates!"_

More complications. Still, she knew it was the only way. Letting the Empire into the city was only going to bring more hardships.

"Push forward!" she called into the surrounding area. A moment later the cry was being repeated by another commander, then another after that, until every sector of the battle had been alerted. The rebels bristled, wrought with tension, then pressed forward the best they could.

The Empire wasn't having it. The troops just seemed to dig their heels in and push back for every inch the rebels tried to push forward, and they ended up barely making a dent.

Briefly, Vriska wondered what would happen if their city or one of the others was lost. If they couldn't even manage to push back against the Empire, if they were just forced to stand in place and fight for their lives…

_No. Don't think about that now. Just keep focused, kill whoever you can, and this will all work itself out for the better._

 

* * *

 

Watching all the monitors closely took focus, Sollux found. Focus and skill, neither of which he was very confident that he actually had. Not with this. He was watching the entire city all at once, had to make sure he saw everything for fear of the Empire slipping something by him and consequently slaughtering the rebels in one fell swoop. If the soldiers started to move, retreat, change position, the rebels would have to know immediately. There was no room for error.

So far, things seemed to be going…okay. He didn't have a read on the other two cities, but the main city's battle was going as well as could be expected. Karkat and the others seemed to be holding their own. Barely keeping the balance of rebels and Empire soldiers.

In the sky, things seemed to be going relatively well. Sollux had kept constant contact with the squadron leaders since they'd gone up, and while there had been casualties, their ships were still airborne. They were still keeping the Empire ships off the ground troops. Though, he wasn't sure how long that would last.

Overall, the battle had reached a strange sort of almost equilibrium. For now, a short ways into the fighting, everything was balanced almost perfectly. Sollux was no fool, though—he knew that sooner or later, something would have to give. And…if he was being honest with himself, he thought that the rebels would probably be the ones that cracked first. So then, he couldn't let this equilibrium persist. He needed the rebels to tip the balance now, in their direction, before they were forcefully pushed the other way. They couldn't lose.

Eyes narrowing, Sollux squinted at the spattering of images plastered across the many monitors before him. Some of the cameras had been taken out. Most of them were still intact, though, and he used them to watch the way the rebels and Empire forces were clashing, awkwardly balanced. There were more rebels, but the higbloods were stronger.

For a moment he considered looking for Karkat and Eridan and Kanaya, considered seeking them out just to make sure that they were okay. But that was foolish, he  _knew_ he didn't have that kind of time, so he quickly forced himself to flip over to the monitor that was showing him a scan of Alternia's surrounding atmosphere. The flagship was hovering out there, just waiting while the Empire troops worked to destroy the rebellion. Sollux had no way of knowing whether the Condesce was still in there, or if she was already somewhere on the surface. His scanners weren't good enough to tell if there was a life form on that ship with a cool enough body temperature to be her. He could pick up a mass of heat that had to be the slaves, and presumably there were a few handlers left behind to make sure nothing happened to them, but other than that he couldn't tell a thing. It was a miracle he could read that much from the scan.

And…there was something else, too.

He couldn't quite tell where it was coming from, not specifically, but he was picking up an odd signal emanating from just outside Alternia's atmosphere. Not strong, barely noticeable, but still it was there. Pulsing endlessly in a persistent wave. Was it coming from the flagship? And if it was, what purpose did it serve? He could tell it wasn't a signal meant to communicate with any of the ground troops; those signals were much stronger. It was communicating with  _something,_ though, even if the message wasn't in words understandable to a living troll, and Sollux had a feeling it was important.

_If I can trace that signal to the specific place it's broadcasting from and to, I might be able to figure out what's going on,_ he thought, typing furiously in an attempt to locate either side of the broadcast. He couldn't quite pinpoint the location of the broadcast from space (though it was almost certain that the flagship was the point of origin), but he had a feeling that finding the other end of the signal, the one on Alternia, would be significantly easier. Someone or some _thing_ on Alternia was receiving that signal. He just had to find it.

…And he also had to keep an eye on the battle, because if he slipped up it was entirely possible that the rebels would be killed.  _Especially_ if there was a mysterious signal broadcasting from the flagship. So with that in mind, Sollux kept one eye on the battlefield and one eye on a separate monitor as he continued scanning for the signal. He could get more specific now that he knew the exact frequency.

_There it is!_ A web of lines shot out across the screen, mapping out vague locations and prospective targets for the signal.  _Targets. Plural._

_Why is there more than one line?_ Sollux wondered. Normally tracking these signals was straightforward. There was a sender, a receiver, and the straight line between the two. This time, though…there was more than one line. In fact, it looked like there were  _dozens._  Dozens flying out into space, to the flagship and the surrounding fleet, and dozens more scattered out all over Alternia. Centralized in the three Alternian cities, he noted. Tracing the signal wasn't enough to gain an exact location from any of them, but  _that_ much he could tell. Something was broadcasting from  _somewhere,_ spreading the same signal in a web throughout not just the main cities, but through Alternia's atmosphere as well.

He was no longer certain it was coming from the flagship. There were so many signals stretched thin over such a large area that he couldn't tell  _where_ it was originating from. It wasn't good news. Maybe if he really focused, picked apart each thread, he'd be able to tell which signal was the strongest and therefore emanating from the person or thing doing the broadcasting. But at a glance, it just looked like a mess.

_The real issue here is the purpose of this signal. It doesn't appear to be ordering anyone to_ do  _anything, but…it's just branched out everywhere._

…Yes. It was branched out everywhere. Which meant that there would be receivers of the broadcast around his location. Maybe he could see if one of the signals was broadcasting to somewhere near the base, and he could check it out and let the others know what was going on.

Claws tapped across the keyboard. The web of signals came back up. And  _oh…_ there were actually a  _ton_ of signals tracing back to his location. And…was that one  _inside_ the base? No, wait—there was more than one.

_What could be inside the base that's receiving a signal?_ he wondered, touching the screen with a clawtip as if to dispel an illusion.  _It would have to be something electronic, but it doesn't look like_ this  _computer is receiving anything. But then…what is?_

He glanced at the monitors displaying the battle. The Empire troops seemed just as focused as ever; they weren't going to be pulling any tricks for at least the few minutes it would take for him to go and find the receptor of at least one branch of the signal. He would only be gone a minute. Not ideal, of course, but he had a feeling that this was important.

Keeping his headset on, he grabbed his handheld and pulled up the web of signals. It looked like the nearest one was coming from not too far away, in a random room down the hall. He…didn't remember anything electronic in there. What was receiving the signal? Why was it in the base?

He stepped out into the hall quickly and silently, handheld gripped between pressure-whitened fingers. Made his way down the hallway on light feet. Speed was crucial, seeing as anything could happen on the battlefield while he was away. Using that speed came easily, though, as he popped open the door to the room he thought the broadcast was coming from.

There wasn't a computer, though. Not a computer, or  _anything_ electronic, really. In fact, there wasn't anything at all. No bed, no desk, no chairs. Nothing. So what was picking up the signal?

He tried to follow the map, first. But it was so unspecific; just getting him this close had been a godsend, and he was forced to put the thing away and scan the walls and floors for anything he'd missed. A bug, maybe. Then, when that didn't work, he cocked his head to one side and tried to listen for something that he wasn't even sure was there. But it was there, wasn't it? And the harder he listened, the more he could hear it.

A hum. A dull, almost silent hum that just barely resonated from somewhere in the room. Frowning, he followed it further inside. It grew ever louder as he approached the far wall, and so he knelt and pressed his ear right against the metal plating.

_There it is._

There was something behind the walls, something he wasted no time in attempting to locate. He snapped the sealer around the panels with his psionics and flung them to one side. Turned to the wall, and—

His blood ran cold. That…was a fucking bomb. He didn't need to touch it to see that; its appearance just screamed  _I'm a device of incredible explosive power, please proceed to touch me and have your entire body blown to shreds!_

Immediately his mind was racing. If this signal led to a bomb, the others certainly did as well—and by the looks of things they weren't counting down to anything, so obviously the signal was meant to trigger all of them at once in some kind of grand explosion that would wreck the rebellion. But how had the bombs been planted? Was there some kind of traitorous wretch running around the rebellion with bombs in hand, devoted to serving the Empire? And if that was the case, what was the purpose? Why hadn't the bombs gone off already? What was the Empire  _waiting_  for?

_Something's not right here._ Sollux started to reach for the bomb, then stopped himself. He had to think this through. If the bomb hadn't gone off yet, in the midst of battle, it wasn't going to until something very specific happened. The key to the mystery would be the identity of that something.

His fingers shot to his earpiece. "Karkat, Eridan, Kanaya! Come in!"

A pause. Then  _"Sol? What's goin' on?"_

"We have a problem; there are bombs all over the three Alternian cities."

_"What?"_ Karkat screeched. He sounded out of breath.  _"How the fuck did those get there? Who put them there? Where are they, exactly?"_

"They're everywhere," was the grim response. "There are at least five in this military base, and it looks like there are dozens placed elsewhere. There are even a few planted on the flagship and the surrounding vessels, as far as I can tell."

_"But that doesn't make any sense. Why on Alternia would the Empress want to place bombs across the field of battle on which her own forces are fighting? There are no troops in reserve on either side; she'll end up killing her entire fleet if she detonates them!"_

She was right. It didn't make any sense. "I don't know," Sollux mused, "let me just…" He looked down at his handheld, spun the map a little to look more closely at the web of signals. His next breath came out choked with shock as he realized, "There aren't any bombs on the battlefield."

_"So where are they, then?"_

A few more taps of the screen. "They're…they're in all the military bases. All the military bases and the surrounding areas, FF's underwater castle, the Empire's ships, and just scattered throughout all three cities. Nowhere near the actual fighting."

_"That doesn't make any sense,"_ Karkat protested lowly.  _"If there were bombs there, surely that bitch would have blown our bases up by now. Why hasn't she?"_

_"Everythin' she does has a reason,"_ Eridan agreed.  _"She doesn't make decisions like this without purpose."_

Sollux shook his head. "But I don't know the purpose!"  _Come on, think! You're the Condesce, and you're trying to destroy all the traitors to the Empire and gain Alternia back. You plant bombs, or have someone else plant bombs for you. Why don't you detonate them immediately?_

_Because…because you want Alternia._

He blinked. That's right…the Condesce  _wanted_  Alternia. The planet, not a heap of exploded garbage. She wanted the military bases intact for her own use, wanted the cities without an excess of rubble blocking the streets. Rebuilding would waste valuable time, time she could be out conquering and expanding Alternia's reach. She had the bombs…why, then?

_As a last resort._

His whole body suddenly felt cold. "Fuck."

_"Sollux, you ass, what's going on?"_

"The Empress had someone plant the bombs," he rushed out, frantic now that he understood the gravity of what had been done. "Someone planted the bombs in the rebel bases, around the city, anywhere they thought they could hurt the rebels without taking out Empire troops as well. They're meant as a last resort, I think, set to go off in the case that the Empire loses. They'll tear our centers of command apart and shock us just long enough for the enemy to slaughter us all."

_"Then why are there bombs on the flagship? Why the fuck would the Condesce do that?"_

There was a pause. Then, from Kanaya,  _"The slaves are on that flagship."_

The slaves and no one else. Realization smacked Sollux across the face. "You don't think…"

_"It is very likely to me that in the event the Condesce loses, she will destroy not just the rebel bases, but the flagship and all the slaves on board. She will lose, but so will we."_

Karkat didn't waste a moment before he blurted out,  _"Fuck, Sollux, disarm them!"_

"Don't you think I want to? But  _think_  about it, KK—all these bombs are locked together by an unbroken signal coming from somewhere either on Alternia or on the flagship. What do you think will happen if one of those threads is yanked loose? The whole web unravels."

_"They'll detonate the instant one of them is neutralized,"_ Kanaya agreed grimly.  _"And they'll detonate the instant we win."_

"If even one of them is accidentally jostled the wrong way, we could have our centers of command blown to shreds and all the slaves slaughtered."

_"Then what do we do?"_ Eridan demanded.  _"If we win, they explode. If we try to disarm them, they explode. If we lose, it won't matter if they explode because we'll be fuckin' dead."_

Sollux closed his eyes. "They'll need to be found and moved. Every single one of them."

Silence, deep and shocked. Then,  _"How are we going to do that? There's a delicate balance here, in case you hadn't fucking noticed, and we're barely maintaining it! If we send a squadron off to find and move a bunch of bombs out into the middle of nowhere—!"_

"Not a squadron, and not into the middle of nowhere. Just a few trolls from every town will be enough to move them to a place where, if they go off, they'll be harming the Empire more than they'll be harming us."

_"Using their weapons against them,"_ Kanaya realized.  _"Very clever. Who will go?"_

"The Empire will notice if any of you three leave," Sollux murmured, half to himself. "They'll notice you're gone and wonder what you're up to. They'll be suspicious. No…it has to be someone they won't think twice about. Someone like…"

_"Ladcai,"_ Karkat said immediately.  _"No one will notice if he's gone. Send him and the others from your original team of rebels."_

_That's right!_  They would be perfect for this. They could slip in, locate the bombs, and move them to the field where the Empire troops would no doubt retreat if they thought they were facing a losing battle. When they went off, they'd take out what remained of the Empire. "KK, you're a genius."

_"Call him whatever you want, Sol, but there's still the issue of the bombs on the flagship. How the fuck are we supposed to disarm them, or move them, or whatever?"_

_"Send one or two ships from the forces currently defending the battlefield,"_ Kanaya suggested.

"No go. Those ships aren't fitted for space travel; the on-world military was never meant to travel past Alternia's atmosphere."

_"Then what the fuck are we supposed to do?"_

Sollux went quiet. "There's one ship on Alternia fitted to travel into deep space."

Karkat and Kanaya were silent, but Eridan understood in a heartbeat. He could tell.  _"Sol, you can't use my ship. It doesn't have—"_

"I know what it doesn't have. I also know that unless we can manage to use it, get off world and save the lowblood slaves, all of this will have been for nothing."

_"The fuck are you talking about, Captor? What's this about Eridan's ship?"_

There was no way he could tell Karkat. The asshole would probably ditch the battle to come storming back and scream at him for being an idiot. "I'm going to call in a few favors," he lied instead. "Get ED's ship ready to go and save the slaves. Leave it all to me."

_"Captor."_

He paused.

_"I'm not an idiot."_

Well, there went his plan. Karkat was going to rage quit the battle and confront him, and then—

_"I hate it. But…I think you're right. It's the only way."_

What.

_"We didn't come all this way to lose the slaves on that ship at the last moment. But with that being said,_ I  _didn't come all this way just so I could lose_ you  _to a fucking ridiculous, poorly thought out plan. Don't let either of those things happen."_

Blinking, he said, "Wow, KK, that's probably the most level-headed I've ever heard you say."

_"Fuck off and die, Captor."_

"Careful, or I might do just that."

The resulting silence was much too heavy for his liking.

_"Sollux…be careful. You're leaving us without someone to watch the monitors, and if the Empire decides to pull one over on us…"_

"I know. I'll be fast."

He really wouldn't, though. And Karkat knew, just as he knew, that returning from what he was about to do was far less likely that he would have liked.

 

* * *

 

Feferi was in the middle of stabbing her trident through a blueblood's skull when her headset beeped once, twice, and then Sollux was buzzing something in her ear. She had only one thought as the first notes of his nasally voice rang out, and that was that if Sollux was talking to her instead of his own team, something had gone horribly wrong. Needless to say, something had.

There were bombs everywhere, apparently, which was nice. Very nice. She couldn't begin to describe how nice it felt to know that there were explosives strapped to every surface of their military base. It was okay, though, because Vriska immediately picked out a handful of troops to go remove the bombs and place them in a place that would harm the Empire rather than the rebels in the event of their unfortunate detonation. The trolls that had been chosen fled the battlefield, Sollux's map in hand, and went to start finding the tiny devices that would have blown them to shreds in the event of their victory.

Sollux wasn't done after that, though.

_"FF, there's something I need you to do."_

She realized in a snap that Sollux had cut the others off. They were only talking to each other. "Huh? What do you need me to do?"

_"You heard me when I said I was going to deal with the flagship situation, didn't you?"_

She had. Sollux had mentioned that there were bombs on the flagship, that they would need to be somehow removed if they wanted to save the slaves. He'd said that he had a plan and that no one else needed to worry about it. Now, though…

_"FF, I need you to leave the battle and come to the warehouse where we stashed ED's ship. Bring AA."_

"That old place? Why? And don't you think the Empire will be suspicious if the two of us just leave?"

_"Yes that old place, because we're going to take care of those bombs on the flagship, and no, because you're going to slip away while nobody's looking. The battle in your city specifically is so hectic that they shouldn't notice if you leave._

Okay, that was a lot of information! She struggled to make sense of it all. "We're going to deal with the flagship? Just the three of us?"

_"I need a pilot, and I think the slaves might respond better to you than anyone else. It's unfortunate, but they'll probably be willing to listen to someone who looks like the Condesce. And…I want AA there for backup."_

"A  _pilot,"_ she echoed. "Sollux, I have no idea how to fly a ship. Aradia doesn't either!"

_"Well…maybe pilot was the wrong word. It's more like, I need you to supervise while_ I'm _flying the ship. Maybe press a few buttons."_

Oh, she didn't like where this was going. "Sollux…"

_"Just tell the others that I've ordered you to come help out in the main city, then slip away. Try to make sure no one sees you in the confusion, then come straight to the warehouse. I'll be waiting."_

"Well…okay, if you're sure!"

_"I am. Just…hurry."_

 

* * *

 

Sollux was well aware that he was leaving the main city without someone to watch the monitors, and he hated it. But as things were, the Empire was stable and they  _needed_ to take care of those bombs on the flagship. If they won without doing so that ship would be blown the fuck up, and all the lowblood slaves would be killed. They didn't deserve that. Plus, if that happened Sollux had no doubt that the Empire would find some way to let every remaining rebel know that it had happened, thus squashing their morale and lending them to their doom.

Yeah, those bombs had to come down  _now_. Knowing this, he'd been quick to set Ladcai on taking care of the bombs while he ran off to the warehouse, to where Eridan's ship was still stowed away. It hadn't been used in battle due to its purpose as a transportation vessel. It was too large to use in air combat over the battlefield.

"Sollux!"

Feferi and Aradia were there, right on schedule. They entered the warehouse. Both were spattered with pink and purple and blue and every color of the rainbow, but they were there nonetheless and mostly unharmed. Feferi wiped a hand across her face to clear away the remaining blood, then looked to him with wide, worried eyes.

"Hey, FF, AA," he greeted. "Ready to do this?"

Aradia looked concerned. "Sollux, Feferi filled me in, and I'm really not sure what you have in mind, but I'm really quite uncertain that you're in your right mind! You're still hurt, and—!"

_"AA."_  He laid a hand on her shoulder, comforting. "You know as well as I that this is something that has to happen, and I've determined that we're the three people most suited to this particular task."

"That's what I don't understand," Aradia insisted. "Why me? I understand Feferi because she'll have a good chance of getting the slaves to listen to her without question, but why am I here?"

Sollux swallowed hard. The truth was, Aradia was mostly here for his own comfort. What he was about to do…

Perceptive as ever, Feferi narrowed her eyes at him. "Sollux, how flight-ready is Eridan's ship?"

"It's, um, pretty much ready to go," he managed. Feferi wasn't buying it, though, and he could tell.

"Sollux. The  _truth_."

"FF…" He cringed, taking a good look at the ship behind him. It was in perfect condition, not a dent on it. Ready to fly as soon as it received one thing—a power source. Sollux had freed the last one, after all. The green-blooded psionic that had later saved his life, and Karkat's.

"Sollux," Feferi said again, more gently this time. "Please."

Closing his eyes felt natural, so he let it happen. He didn't want to look at anything right now. "Fine. The ship is in perfect working condition except for one thing—it's missing a battery."

"No."

"FF—!"

"Absolutely not, Sollux Captor! You are not sacrificing yourself to this ship just so we can—!"

"Can what?" Sollux echoed. "Save hundreds of slaves? Oh no, I would hate to cause myself mild discomfort just to do that!"

"If you integrate yourself, you run the risk of not being able to get back out!"

"Full integration takes  _months,_ FF, sometimes years. It's not going to permanently link me in if I'm attached for a few hours. Plus, this is the only way. I'm not going to ask some poor psionic to hook themselves in just because I don't want to take responsibility."

"Do you even know how it's supposed to work?" Aradia demanded. "Or are you just going to throw yourself at the helm until it decides to kill you?"

"I know how it works!" he snapped, bristling with a mixture of fear and frustration. "I read about it. A lot. Plus, I've ripped someone out of this exact ship before. All FF has to do is press a few buttons when I tell her to, and it should go down without a hitch."

"You only need one person to press the buttons," Aradia pointed out. "Why am I here?"

"Because you're my moirail, and I'm not sure I can make myself do this if you're not there!"

The outburst was met with stunned silence, Aradia and Feferi both staring at him with blatant pity in their eyes.

"Oh, Sollux…" Aradia floated closer and sealed a hand to his cheek. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize."

"Pity me for this mess later," he murmured. "For now, let's just get on board and get this over with. We don't have any time to spare."

He could tell that they weren't quite convinced, but they certainly weren't going to go against him after such an uncharacteristic show of raw emotion. They nodded and stepped aside to let him step up into the ship.

It was cold inside. Lifeless. Even flicking on the lights failed to illuminate the ship to what looked like a livable degree. He knew where the helm was, of course, tucked away in the lower levels where no one would ever have the displeasure of laying eyes upon it. He'd get there soon enough; for now he needed to show Feferi which levers to pull and which buttons to press.

Quietly, he showed her exactly how to fly the ship. He knew from last time he'd been aboard. It wasn't actually as hard as one might think, seeing as most of the maneuvering was done by the battery.

"I'm not sure how much control I'll retain once I'm wired in," he told Feferi quietly, leaning into the feel of Aradia's hand on his back. "I very well may have more control than I realize, and I might just be able to do  _all_  of the flying myself. But if I can't, it'll be up to you to make sure we don't hit anything. I've made sure the flash step feature is meant to take you right to the flagship to dock, but there'll probably be some improvising involved. Be prepared."

Feferi gave him a grave but determined nod. "I'll do my best. Will…you be joining us once we reach the ship?"

Sollux shook his head. "I don't know. If I'm under too deep, then no. But if not, I'd be glad to hop out and help you guys. I'll find a way to communicate."

Another nod. "Okay, then. Good luck."

"Good luck," he echoed back at her. Then Aradia was taking him by the arm and steering him out of the room, a gentle reminder that their time was limited, and he willingly went with her to where he knew the helm was located.

There it was.

He shuddered at the sight of it. It looked as if that green-blooded psionic had never been there, as if it had repaired itself after having its battery removed. The compartment the battery was held in had completely glossed over to create a smooth, firm surface with no place for entry.

"That's the helm?" Aradia whispered. She sounded just as sick as Sollux felt.

"That's the helm," Sollux confirmed. He swallowed down bile as he saw the way the thing pulsated just beneath the surface. Feferi would be waiting to perform the startup sequence. He couldn't delay.

Aradia fluttered closer to the organic material. "How does it work?"

"It'll…" A pause to compose himself. "It'll recognize my power and…" A gulp. "And grab onto me. It's going to dose me with something, so don't freak out."

"What? What's it going to do?"

"It's…complicated, okay? It's not going to do anything I don't already know about." Swallowing hard, he convinced himself to step a few feet forward until he was placed right in front of the helm. One touch was all it would take to activate the thing. It would grab him, pull him in and start sucking the psionic power right out through his pores. It wasn't going to be pleasant. It was going to hurt. But…he knew he had to do this. It was the only way to save those lowblood slaves.

"Stay close to me," he rasped, throat closing up even as he spoke. "I might freak if you don't."

A hand resettled itself on his back. "I'll be right here."

_Okay. Right._ There was only one thing left to do, then—actually touch the helm.

He took a few deep, steadying breaths. The back of his mind was buzzing with memories that weren't his, memories from his ancestor. Memories of having the life sucked out of him, slowly and by hundreds of sweeps. Memories of being hooked forever into the boiling core of a ship.

_That's not me,_ he had to remind himself, over and over again.  _That was him. Here, AA and FF are there to pull me back out. I won't spend forever as a ship._

One more breath. Two. Then he reached out, fingertips already tingling with psionic power, and flattened a palm to the surface of the helm.


	43. Gold Pilot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sollux enters the helm, and the battle rages on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ALMOST forgot it was Wednesday. My best friend from high school is visiting from a few states over, and I'm so wrapped up with planning trips and hanging out that I totally blanked on posting this! Better late than never, I guess!
> 
> This week's chapter is [ Gold Pilot ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSCEC0lYTzk) by First Turn Fold. Definitely one of the best Homestuck songs that never got turned into a flash!

The handbooks hadn't prepared him for  _this_.

Sollux choked on every breath as the gelatinous, almost  _sopor-_ like substance reached out in a thousand little tendrils and grabbed onto his hand, then his arm, tugging him in and molding itself to fit him. Organic goop enveloped his entire arm. Hooked to the back of his neck, sucking him closer before reaching out and repeating the process on his other arm. Everywhere the slime touched  _tingled_ with a strange, numbing sort of electricity. Psionic energy, but not his. Aradia's hand fell away with an alarmed yelp.

Then, before he had the chance to even draw a good breath, his entire body was just yanked into the goo.

He nearly tried to breathe the stuff before he remembered himself.  _Calm down. This is normal._ He fought to make his muscles go limp, to make the process easier. It worked a little. That is, it worked until he felt the wires start to snake their way up his body. He'd known they were there, waiting for the goop to get him in the right position, but knowing and feeling were two different things.

"Sollux!" he thought he heard Aradia call through the slime. "Sollux, oh god, is this normal? Can you breathe?"

He couldn't really. But the ship knew that, and it spun him around and shoved his face back into open air before he could really start choking. The goop pulled back until most of his upper body was left uncovered. His arms, though, and the rest of his body, were less lucky. Thick wires coiled around his wrists, yanked them high above his head. Thinner constructs slipped out to curl around his horns. Subduing. More and more swathed themselves around his waist, his stomach, his legs, until he was truly helpless to move so much as a muscle. He wasn't linked in yet, though. Not mentally.

"Sollux!" Aradia called again, frantic.

"I'm fine," he tried to assure her. It came out a little slurred, though, due to the constant pressure at his horns, and he found himself blinking through the fog. "Just one thing left…"

That _one thing_ arrived before he even realized it was happening. A specialized cable, more of a tube, really, dispensed from the top chamber of the helm and slithered its way down to his face. Prodded at his lips, seeking entry.

 _Just the transmission fluid,_ he recognized.  _It'll find its way into my blood stream and shut down the centers of my brain that let me control my powers. Then it'll start taking whatever it needs._

That was the danger of being hooked in for longer than a few days, or even a few hours, or just at all. The longer you were under, the longer your mind had to permanently lock away the section of yourself that could control your psionic energy. Eventually that part just turned to mush. The others followed soon after. Just one of the many dangers of integration, he supposed.

The half-organic material of the tube prodded at his mouth again, and this time he parted his lips to it. It was a disconcerting feeling, having the thing shove all the way to the back of his throat and expand to keep him from fighting it. He didn't have a choice but to swallow the mouthfuls of thick, viscous fluid. The stuff tingled all the way down.

"I'm going to assume that was normal," Aradia whispered shakily. Sollux couldn't answer.

He felt the instant his powers were taken away from him. It was like a switch was flipped in his brain, flipped by that dull, tingling sensation spreading throughout his whole body and disabling everything except his basic bodily functions. His brain kind of tickled for a moment, pulsed with something like pain, and then just like that his psionics were gone. Not permanently gone, no—just kind of passing through him and into the ship, using his body as a conduit. He was completely passive in the process, the metal prong of a plug.

He could almost  _feel_  the ship around him. It wasn't crystal clear or anything; he couldn't sense every individual thing happening. It was dull, like the rest of his body was dull, something he knew was there but couldn't exactly feel the way he wanted to. He knew what was happening, for the most part. He could feel Feferi beginning the startup sequence, most likely in response to the way the ship's power had just flickered and stabilized. He could feel the engines purring, the wheels on the landing gear beginning to turn as the ship was pushed forward by the strength of Sollux's own psionics. Or, the ship's psionics. They didn't really feel like his anymore. It stung a little, actually, the push of the engines. Taking from him.

 _"We're clear of the warehouse,"_ said a voice in his ear that sounded like Feferi. She must have spoken into the intercoms so he could hear with the ship part of his brain. Or…the brain part of his ship…he was the ship…his brain was…

 _"Initiating takeoff sequence,"_ Feferi said.  _"Sollux, if you can hear me...I'm sorry."_

 _Sorry for what?_ he tried to think. But his mind wasn't having it. The ship wasn't having it. He…the collective entity that was him and the ship… _them…_ they were not having it. They weren't going to think, they were going to be a ship. They were the ship. They'd…always been a ship, right? Being a ship was nice.

Something tugged at the back of their mind, vying for power and for attention and for everything they had.  _We need to make a jump to these coordinates,_ they knew, and suddenly it was happening. Psionic energy was being leeched from the part of them that was organic, the part that could feel pain and  _was_ feeling pain, was screaming in agony as they were jabbed with thousands of little wires and stretched to their limit. But the majority of them was fine, didn't feel a thing. They were taking off.

 _Stop that,_ they thought as the organic part of them felt a palm press to what had once been their cheek.  _Stop that, we're fine, it's okay if the organic part of us is hurting. We're fine._

 _"Maintain current speed,"_ something said, something they recognized but didn't.  _"Three minutes to destination."_

They maintained current speed, even if that meant that the organic part of them was sucked nearly dry. The organic part of them was still screaming. It was okay. Everything was okay.

 _"Coming out of the jump,"_ that same something said.  _"Approaching flagship. Prepare for docking procedure."_

They obediently reduced the drag of power out of their organic portion. Said portion's screaming faded to desperate, choking whines and gasps. They were still okay. They approached the flagship, docking gear already flaring out as their captain pressed all the necessary buttons and issued all the necessary commands. The flagship's hangar opened for them when they signaled. They drifted up, engaged the docking ports, and fastened themselves to the flagship. They were home.

 _"We've attached to the flagship!"_ called a voice, different than the one from before. More organic. The captain? But…they didn't recognize her.  _"Aradia, is Sollux…?"_

 _"He's…"_ The voice paused, filtered rustily through the intercoms and into their brain.  _"I don't know! He was screaming the whole time, and now he's just kind of hanging there! I don't think he can communicate, so what are we supposed to do? We don't know if we can unhook him, or—!"_

_"He was screaming?"_

_"Yes, of course he was! The ship is draining him, Feferi, that's the point!"_

A pause. Then,  _"Get him out. I don't like this."_

_"And what will happen when we need to leave?"_

_"We're going to rescue the psionics aboard this ship anyway, so we'll just shove one of them in there. They should be able to last the short journey back to Alternia, especially seeing as they've been trained to fly the flagship. This should be nothing to them."_

_"Sollux won't like that."_

_"With your agreement, we will have outvoted his distaste. Cut him down."_

_"This is a bad idea, Feferi."_

_"Cut him down!"_

A pause, then, and they waited to see what would happen next. The organic part of them was interested in the conversation, they could tell, but they quickly put an end to such interest. It wasn't their place to wonder.

Ow.  _The fuck was that?_

They jolted as something stabbed into their organic part, clawing and ripping and tearing at the gelatinous goop keeping their battery in place. Reparable, easily reparable, but it still sent jolts of psionic energy lacing through their systems as their organic portion protested the movement. What was happening? Why were they being touched like that?

Their wires were being uncoiled from around their battery's body. Thousands of barbs were being yanked out of their skin. Blood everywhere. Not a lot of it, but it was watered down by the viscous slime. Their organic form quaked with pain.

_"Come on, Sollux!"_

The wires were wrenched from their battery's horns, and immediately most of their connectivity was lost. They were still attached, but drawing the power they needed was harder now. Their systems were starting to shut back down. More and more wires ripped away to the same effect.

_"Almost…got you…!"_

Then the last of the wires popped free, the slime was shoved aside, and their battery went sliding out onto the ground. No, no, that wasn't good—they couldn't draw power like this, the battery  _wanted_ to give them power, their organic portion  _wanted_ to give them power, why were they being taken apart again? They tried to pull themself back together.

_"Sollux, can you hear me? Are you okay?"_

They…were the ship. They were not a troll anymore, they were a ship.  _The_  ship, not  _a_  ship. That was them. They were only partly organic, and that part was lying on the ground instead of strung up in the helm where they belonged.

_"Come on, open your eyes! I know you can hear me!"_

He was… _they_  were…a  _ship_. They heard everything that passed through the coms system. He—

" _You said it would take far longer than this to integrate yourself completely, so wake up! You're way too powerful to let yourself be pulled in like this!"_

He shuddered.  _They_ shuddered, he was a part of them, he was—he was not a  _he,_ that was the  _problem,_ he was  _them._  The ship was him, he did not exist, he was…just…

_"Sollux Captor, open your eyes this instant!"_

Sollux choked on a wet, stuttering breath, coughing violently to dispel what remained of the transmission fluid in his throat and mouth, heaving what was in his stomach out onto the ground. Fuck, that shit was  _black._ He could feel it dripping down his chin, leaking out his nose. A touch at his right ear told him that a trail was oozing from there as well.

"Sollux!" Aradia cried again, and her voice was suddenly much clearer. "Oh thank god, I was so worried!" An arm hooked around his waist and drew him into a hug. His stomach heaved a little, rolled, but he managed not to spew black down her front. His whole body was trembling. "Are you okay?"

"We're—" Then he stopped, forcing his brain to reset itself.  _"I'm_ fine. Shit, that was so weird…" Flickers of the ship were still in his head, telling him things he shouldn't know about efficiently and current operating capacity (which was tanking now that the battery was no longer attached). His entire body still tingled. When he reached for his powers, they sparked unbidden across his skin.

"Ouch!" Aradia yelped. "Sollux!"

"Sorry, sorry! That fluid messed my powers all up." He was still trying to put it all together, really. He…still felt like he was a part of the ship. Powers out of control, mind racing, heart pumping slower than it should have been. Confusion gripped him. "Why did you take me out…?"

"Because we saw what this awful thing was doing to you, and Feferi decided that it would be better to use a battery already aboard the flagship. You're not going back in."

A part of him was disappointed, knowing that he'd have to put someone else through what he'd just been through. But if he was being honest, the larger part of himself was relieved. Merging with the ship…it had been  _awful_. Fiery hot pain lacing through his body, tearing screams from deep down in his chest even while he was convincing himself—while the ship, while  _they_ were convincing themselves—that nothing was wrong. It hadn't been his body. It had hurt, but only a small part of himself had felt the pain. He had  _been_ the ship. They'd—

He clamped his eyes closed.  _No, no—I can't let myself fall back into it. I'm not a ship, I'm Sollux Captor. And I have a job to do._

"Help me up," he rasped. "I'm not just going to sit around while the two of you do all the work."

"Are you sure you're—?"

"I'm fine," he said quickly. His powers tried to spark with his anger, though, and stopping them was harder than he would have liked. That black fluid was still in his bloodstream, dampening his ability to fully control his abilities. Not bad enough to be life threatening, to himself or his quadrants, but still. It unnerved him.

Aradia's hand landed placatingly on his cheek. "Maybe you should stay here. You look like you've been through quite an ordeal."

"I came here to help, and I'll do just that. Let me up."

A pause, thick and uncertain. Then a sigh, a tilt of the head, and Aradia was tugging him to his feet. "Easy. We need you to  _not_  keel over."

"I'll be okay, I promise." He staggered a little as he said it, though, and Aradia was quick to thread an arm around his chest.

"If you can't stand on your own, then I really don't think—!"

Sollux waved her off. "It'll pass." It was already passing, actually, now that he'd been outside the helm for a few minutes. He'd almost convinced his limbs to listen to him again. "Let's get off this ship, then I'll feel a hell of a lot better."

Aradia gave a silent nod, obediently helping him toward the door. In a matter of minutes they'd reached the exit of the ship and disembarked. Feferi was waiting.

"Sollux, you look awful!" was the first thing she said. "Are you…?"

"It'll be okay. I just want to get this over with; do you have the map?"

Feferi held up her handheld, map of bomb locations displayed neatly upon it. "I do. Should we split up, stick together, or what?"

"Split up," he said immediately. "I'll take the east, AA takes the west, you take the space in between. Keep in contact and make sure you don't go anywhere you're not certain is secure. We don't  _think_ there are any Empire troops on this ship, aside from maybe one handler, but we can't be certain. Stay on your guard."

"And what happens if  _you_ run across a handler?" Feferi questioned.

"I'll kill them. My powers are still perfectly capable of tearing one person to shreds, thank you very much, regardless of former stab wounds and current disorientation."

"If you're sure…"

"I could snap any troll's neck with a flick of my wrist right now. You don't have to worry."

Feferi caved, though she still looked somewhat uncertain. "Okay. We'll keep in contact. Captchalogue the bombs, then meet back here once we have all of them."

"And deal with the slaves after that," Sollux confirmed. "Let's get going."

They went.

 

* * *

 

"Unbelievable!" Karkat hissed, whirling to one side just in time to avoid being bashed over the head with a spiked club. A flash of plasma cut past his head, striking his opponent in the arm and forcing him to stagger back just enough for Karkat to regain his footing and lunge for him with a shriek. Blood sprayed the air. "Fucking bombs everywhere, and a missing kismesis to boot! This is so fucked up…"

"We're holding our own," was Kanaya's answering call. "That's something."

"Holding our own, but not  _winning_." And they weren't, not really. They were still in that limbo, that equilibrium, dancing back and forth over a fine line. More drones were gone, as were more rebels and slightly more Empire troops. The two sides were pushing each other back and forth over a line, neither one willing to back down and be shoved over. The instant someone gave, the battle would end in a spray of blood. The outcome of this battle would determine the others, and vice versa. Neither side could afford to give in.

He was  _really_ worried about Sollux. He knew how much the psionic feared being strapped into a helm, and now he'd volunteered to do just that. But Karkat knew, as everyone knew, that this was the only way. Sollux wasn't just going to let someone else take the hit for him, and they  _needed_ a psionic to get to the Empire's flagship. If they couldn't get there, the slaves would all die upon their victory. Karkat's very reason for joining the rebellion in the first place would have been snatched out from beneath his nose.

Thus the journey to the flagship. …Which Karkat wasn't going to be able to keep track or whatsoever. Fuck.

For the moment, though, focusing on such things was probably suicide. He was especially reminded of that fact when, out of nowhere, Kanaya slashed the arms off an Empire troop that was going for his back with a cutlass. There wasn't time to thank her, though, not while he was too busy dealing with the asshat that was still attempting to skewer him through the front.

 _If one of the other cities falls, we're pretty much done for,_ a voice kept whispering, even as he struggled to keep his mind on the battle.  _What if it's too much? What if Sollux fails and gets himself killed, what if the other cities go down and the Empire troops gang up on us here, what if…?_

So many things could go wrong.  _So many things._

"Kar!"

He was shaken out of his stupor again by Eridan's voice, though thankfully there weren't any Empire troops stabbing at his back this time. He occupied himself with darting to one side, slashing his sickles, and taking yet another chunk out of his opponent—the one that just couldn't seem to die no matter how many limbs he was down.

"Kar, you gotta focus, just like you told me! Sol will be fine, and the only thing you're doin' in worryin' about him is puttin' all of us here in danger!"

It was true. It was true, and he knew it. All over the battlefield, rebels were dying. Now, what could have been hours into their frantic struggle, they were low of energy while the Empire—who was trained to last  _days_ in battle without failing—was pushing harder than ever. Karkat couldn't afford to zone out now, to think about that which he had no control over. The other cities were not his concern. He just had to  _fight_.

And so fight he did, slashing and clawing and weaving his way through the battlefield that was nearly soaked through with blood.

 

* * *

 

_"Equius!"_

Nepeta tried to call out, to stop it before it happened, but she was too far away to get beneath the blow that raked down her moirail's back and split the skin wide open. The Empire soldier that had done it sneered, raised his machete for another go at it, but he was interrupted when Nepeta finally managed to get her claws around the other side of his neck and pull back until his head was sliced clean off.

"Equius!" she gasped again, leaping to protect him as he staggered and fell. "Oh no, your back!"

The blueblood groaned in pain. "Just…give me a minute…"

"We don't have time for that!" As if in emphasis, she launched skyward to catch an incoming blow, forced to dart this way and that to stop Equius from going down permanently. "And a minute isn't going to heal that! We need a healer!"

He laughed lowly. "A minute, Nepeta. I'll…bind this somehow."

He went for something in his sylladex, but Nepeta was already whirling around to meet the next opponent, then the next, just barely managing to fend them all off as Equius struggled with his own body.

The battle had taken a nasty turn for the worse when the last drone had been shot down by the Empire. The rebels had started to fade, the Empire had started to push, and just like that they were being driven back to their base. They'd lost ground. And the instant they lost ground, the snipers were no longer in range. Another advantage lost.

Since then, things had been going downhill fast. The Empire was edging them closer and closer to the military base, working them through the streets, and Nepeta was smart enough to know that that wasn't good news. They were losing.

Glancing back, she saw Equius attempting to lever himself back to his feet. His tank top was gone, shredded into a large strip and wrapped tight around his torso. The strong, stretchy fabric meant that it made for good binding material. Good, but not great—and even then, she could tell that the wound down his back was severe. This was barely even a temporary solution, if the blue seeping through the black material had anything to say about it.

"Equius—"

"I'll be okay," he insisted, even as he groaned at the feeling of his skin tugging around the wound. "W-we need to do something…about the battle…"

That much was true. If they couldn't find a way to turn the tide soon…

"Brother, what the motherfuck happened here?"

_Good timing, Gamzee._

"Woah! Um, are you…?"

"It doesn't matter how I feel," Equius ground out, sidestepping an enemy troop somewhat painfully as he spoke. Gamzee took care of said troop with a quick swing of his rainbow-spattered clubs. "We need to keep fighting if we want to win!"

Gamzee cringed. "Think we may be past the point of no return there already, brother. Might be time to reevaluate our strategy."

"What other strategy is there? We have to be strong and fight!"

"We're not strong enough to win, bro. I think that much is pretty obvious, what with how this whole battle is turning around on itself."

"But—!"

"Equius," Nepeta hissed, "look around you! There are more of them than us now, and we can't even match them one on one. We need to do something, and  _fast_. If we go down, these Empire troops will go gang up on Karkitty or Vriska!"

He looked conflicted. "What can we possibly do?"

"Retreat, um, back to the base."

All eyes turned to Tavros. "Retreat?" Equius whispered. "But how can we just…?"

"We run back to the base and, um, we barricade ourselves inside. The Empire will, be too preoccupied with breaking in to, um, run off and help take down the other cities."

"And what about defeating them? We'll be giving up on driving them away from the city!"

"No, we won't! We, um, just need to relocate those bombs we had that team working to get out of the base! Have them placed around the base and not inside, so that  _when_ all the bombs in the other cities and on the flagship have been relocated and it's safe to detonate them, they'll be used to, um, kill the Empire troops trying to get inside!"

"That's a lot of assuming going on there," Equius rumbled. "What if the bombs are never safe to detonate? What if the Empire catches us before we even get into the base? What if we can't barricade it in time? What if they find a way in after we've boarded everything up?"

Tavros set his jaw. He looked more confident than Nepeta had ever seen him. "We don't have any other choice! If we stay here we'll die for sure, but if we run to the military base then we have at least a chance of coming out of this alive!"

"I think he's right," Nepeta threw in quickly, while Equius was busy turning blue with rage. "We're losing, Equius! Look around you! If this gives us a chance…"

Equius ground his teeth together. Frowned bitterly.

"Every second we waste is another second the Empire has to needle away at what remains of our forces!" Tavros snapped with shocking heat. "We need to go, and we need to go  _now!"_

That made Equius pause. "I…I mean, if it's the only way…"

Tavros nodded firmly. "It is. Now lets give the command and run while we still can!"

After that, not another second was wasted. The command went out, send via earpiece to every commander and called by word of mouth to every ordinary rebel, and just like that the battle exploded into a chaotic jumble.

The Empire gave chase as soon as they figured out that their prey was attempting to escape, of course, which was immediately lethal to the slowest among them. But for the most part they were quick, slipping straight through the Empire's clawtips and fleeing for the military base that wasn't actually that far away anymore.

"Equius!" Nepeta called, tugging at his arm when he lagged a little. "I know your back hurts, but you'll die if you slow down here!"

The blueblood staggered, then yelped as Nepeta forcefully pushed him forward. He picked up his feet, though, forced himself to move faster despite the obviously agonizing pain he was feeling in his back.

 _There's the military base!_ Nepeta thought, straining hard towards it. she probably could have already gotten there on her own with her catlike speed and grace, but she couldn't leave her moirail. She'd die with him, if that was what it took.

Ahead of her, the rebels were already swarming into the large set of double doors. There were two entrances (and a secret third that the Empire wouldn't know about, leading out into the city through a secret passage), and the rebels were splitting up to run into both. The Empire was close, though, closing in and still picking off who they could from a distance, and Nepeta's ears rang with screams.

"We need distance!" she cried. 'We need space to barricade the doors, and if the Empire is on our tail like this—!"

Gamzee growled, low and dangerous. "I've got it, sister. Don't worry about it."

Nepeta blinked, ready to demand what he meant even as she was forced to leap over the body of a felled rebel. But Gamzee was already turning, already facing the crowd of Empire troops and raising his hands. His clubs had vanished back into his sylladex.

"Gamzee!" Tavros shrieked, trying to stop and grab onto him, but Nepeta knew better. She didn't understand what Gamzee was doing, but she knew that they had to keep moving. Tavros yelped as she grabbed onto his collar and forced him to keep running or be choked.

Nepeta felt rather than saw what Gamzee did. This awful, cold surge of  _fear_  raced over her, gripping tight at her heart and whispering poison into her ear. All at once her hair stood up on end and her ears pricked and her hackles raised, and she darted with impossible speed toward the safety of the base.  _Run,_ a voice was telling her, accompanied by the sensation of her entire body being thrown into freezing, icy cold water.  _Run away now, or you'll die. All your worst fears will come to life._

Beside her Equius and Tavros choked simultaneously on a breath. Doubled their speed, sprinting as fast as they could in response to the silent message.

 _Chucklevoodoos,_ Nepeta realized, even through the cold fear trying to unhook all of her logic.  _I didn't even know Gamzee could use them!_  That thought only lasted a moment, though, before she felt her muscles begin to pump faster in an attempt to get away. Behind her, she knew that the Empire troops would be doubled over or running the other way. Gamzee had given them the time they needed to escape.

By the time the fear started to retreat, she realized that they were already at the base's doorstep. She threw herself inside, Tavros and Equius followed, and just like that they were there.

"We need to get this barricaded!" Equius exclaimed, still shaking visibly as he called out to the rebels in the surrounding area. "Grab whatever you have in your sylladex and make sure this door is inaccessible!"

Tavros leapt forward in alarm. "But Gamzee—!"

Nepeta looked out the open doors frantically for any sign of the juggalo, but she saw nothing but Empire troops. Troops that were recovering, storming toward the base in between bouts of fearful writhing. "I don't see him!"

"There's no time!" Equius hissed. "Gamzee is smart, and a good fighter. He'll find his way off the battlefield and go find Karkat."

Tavros's expression crumbled. "But he's my matesprit, and he—!"

Again, Equius cut him off. "We need to get this barricaded  _now!_  Gamzee helped us; he'll understand that we need to block this off!"

Tavros opened his mouth again, probably for another tearful protest, but rebels were already appearing with materials to shut the doorway for good. Planks and sheets of metal, all thrown at the door and frantically held there as others fumbled with appliances to bind them.

"Gamzee," Tavros whispered. It sounded like a prayer.

Nepeta swallowed down the lump forming in her throat. "He'll be fine," she rasped, trying to convince herself as much as him. "It's like Equius said, he's smart and quick and strong. He won't die."

Tavros looked stricken, fingers curling in on nothing as he watched the rebels finish sealing the door to the best of their ability. One troll had welded the frame and the door together, had sealed up all the seams. Another had patched wood planks over it, nailed them to the walls with heavy iron rods. Another had brought thick sheets of metal to patch over those.

"Put everything heavy against the doors!" Equius ordered. Then, under his breath, "I hope those fools at the other doors were smart enough to do the same."

Tavros raised a shaking hand. "I'll go check." Then he was gone, brown streaming down his cheeks as he distanced himself from the place his matesprit had vanished into the throng of Empire troops. Nepeta felt a flicker of pity at the sight of him.

The rebels finished barricading the door a few minutes later, having lodged a ton of heavy equipment right from the door to the wall. If anyone wanted to swing those double doors inward, they would have to push through a shit ton of metal and wood first. It would be nearly impossible.

"Okay," Equius said with a relieved sigh, "now start working inward! We need to seal off the doors as we retreat further inside, just in case this one is broken through! We'll stop retreating once we've reached a safe distance."

The rebels sprung into action without a second thought. Many of them looked severely injured, blood spattering the ground as they moved, but still they did just that. They welded the next set of doors once everyone had gone through, barricaded them until there was no hope of getting inside. The Empire would be hard pressed to reach them.

It went on like that, door by door, until Equius finally called it off. They'd reached the inner halls of the base, having barricaded all of the ways out and in save for the secret entrance that the Empire had no hope of knowing about. They would need to use that one as an exit into the city.

Tavros appeared shortly after with another group of rebels, presumably from the other side. "Um, t-the other exit is safe," he stuttered grimly. "We've done, everything we can to make sure that the Empire is, um, not going to be able to get inside. The first five, sets of doors are, barricaded thoroughly."

"I guess that's it, then," Equius said. "We're as safe as we're going to get. We need to get all our healers in here to start working on everyone's wounds, appoint a team to relocate the remaining bombs in the base…"

"I can work on that," Nepeta offered. "I'm quick, and I know the layout of the city. If you give me the bombs, I can go into the city and place them where they'll take out the Empire when they detonate."

Equius bristled. "No! Not you!"

"Yes, me!" she said. "I'm not hurt, and I can do this without being spotted. Look, the green on my jacket matches the military uniforms anyway!" A hand waved in the air to demonstrate.

"The color, but not the make," Equius protested. "I'm not letting you go out there alone."

"One person will be more safe and less likely to be noticed than two. Give me the bombs, Equius!"

Tavros cleared his throat softly. "It's, um, probably better to just do as she says. She might, be able to pull this off. And…find Gamzee while she's at it."

Equius hesitated, torn. "Are you sure about this, Nepeta? It will be dangerous."

"I know. I can handle it."

A low growl filled the air, but she knew it was just nerves. "I swear to all that is sacred in this world, if you end up dead…"

"I won't, Equius. Now come on, help me get the bombs in my sylladex. They should still be here, right? The extraction team never made it out before we barricaded them in."

A nod. "Let's go find them. We have a mission to carry out."

 

* * *

 

The flagship was eerily quiet, Sollux found. No matter where he went, he couldn't seem to find any signs of life. What he did find, though, were bombs. Not many of them, but enough to send the entire ship into a free-fall towards Alternia the instant one of them triggered the others. Every one he came across he captchalogued. They'd set them on an escape pod and fire them into deep space once they'd all been collected.

Sollux glanced down at his map. He'd taken care of almost all the bombs on his side. Just one more and he'd be able to head back and meet the others.

 _I hope KK and the others are okay,_ he thought, stepping carefully along the edge of the hallway in search of the telltale hum.  _I'm not there to tell them if the Empire tries to pull anything funny._

He stopped as the hum grew louder. A quick kick at the wall told him where the weak point was, and he was quick to grab at it and pop the panel off. Sure enough, the little black box gleamed innocently at him from its place wedged in the wiring. A flick of the wrist sent the thing into his sylladex with the others.

"Guess that's it, then," he murmured. "We just need to grab the slaves and the psionics, send these bombs flying away on a trip to nowhere, and we'll be all good."

He turned and started off down the corridor that would take him back to where Aradia and Feferi would be waiting, assuming they'd found their portion of the bombs. It was so strange, he thought, being on the flagship. This was the place that all lowbloods feared, that all trolls knew meant immanent death for enemies of the Empire. Now he was here walking alone, the very troll that would have ended up at the helm, carefully making sure the ship wasn't destroyed along with the lowblood slaves. The thought was truly ironic. Someone in another universe might have thought it hilarious.

Sollux rounded the corner, and there was Feferi waiting for him. He called, "FF, do you have the bombs from your wing?"

She nodded. "I have all mine, safe and sound! What about you?"

"Yeah, I've got mine. Have you heard from AA?"

"No, I haven't. Maybe we should try calling?"

"Good idea." Sollux raised a hand to his earpiece. It wouldn't connect to Karkat and the others back on Alternia, but it  _should_ be able to connect him to Aradia. "AA, are you there? Come in!"

Silence. Feferi's brow furrowed in concern.

"AA," Sollux repeated, more urgently this time. "Come in! AA, are you okay?"

Nothing. The earpiece fuzzed over with static.

"She's not answering," Feferi said worriedly. "Do you think she's…?"

Fear jolted through him. He'd suspected that there were still one or two handlers aboard, and if Aradia had run into them by herself… "We need to find her."

"How? It's not like there's a tracer on her!"

"No, but she's carrying all the bombs, which is as good as a tracer." He pulled out his handheld and tapped at the screen. "Here, look—there's only one signal left, and it's coming from the lower levels on AA's side. There must have been a bomb down there that she went to get."

"She's not moving," Feferi pointed out. "Oh, I hope nothing bad happened to her!"

"Let's go find out."

The two of them took off at high speed for the place where it looked like there was a lift on the map. The schematic (shoddy though it was, seeing as it had been put together by rebels that had come off the flagship) showed that there was a lift down the hall that could take them to where it looked like Aradia was lingering. Hopefully she was just having trouble finding the exact location of the last bomb. But should that be the case, why wasn't she responding. He didn't like this.

The ride down was tense and silent, the two of them both lost in their worries. By the time the lift let out and they stepped out onto the lower levels, they were practically buzzing with nervousness.

Sollux stepped out of the lift and immediately yelped as something covered rust-red flew past his head and slammed into the wall next to the lift doors, sliding to the ground in a crumpled heap.  _What…?_

Feferi caught on before he did. "Oh my god, Aradia!"

A choking sound emanated from the crumpled heap, and Sollux realized in a jolt of cold horror that  _that was his moirail._ "AA!"

Aradia groaned, coughed out a mouthful of blood, and made a frantic gesture toward the corridor ahead of her. "S-Sol—!"

He whipped to face the place she was gesturing towards, and his blood ran cold. There, looming ominously down the hallway, was a large, dangerous-looking indigoblood. And he was spattered with rust red.

Psionics sparked at his fingertips before he knew what he was doing. He had no idea how bad Aradia was hurt, had no idea what this asshole had done to her, all he knew was that he was going to  _pay._

"Stand down!" snarled the indigoblood. "I've taken down your rust-blooded friend, and I'm not afraid to do the same to you!"

"You horrible, horrible man!" Feferi gasped. "How dare you?"

The indigoblood raised his nose. "I'm the Commander Halbir, highest authority of the lower levels; I can do what I please! And right now, I intend to do my duty and kill the rebel filth intruding on the flagship!"

 _Halbir._ He'd heard that name before. Karkat had mentioned it while he'd recounted his time on the flagship. He was…

"If you're here to free the slaves, you can forget it," Halbir went on. "You won't get anywhere near them."

 _That's right—he's the primary handler. He's the one that fucking_ trained  _Karkat. Tried to make him do horrible things._  "You had my kismesis raped," he realized, and he felt almost violently nauseous as he said it. "It was  _you_."

"Well, I wouldn't say—"

"And now you've gone after my moirail." Sollux stepped forward, a fierce burning starting up behind his eyes. His powers were bubbling just beneath the surface. "You're going to pay."

The indigoblood squared his shoulders. There was a whip in one hand and a dagger in the other, and he brandished them threateningly. "You'll back off if you know what's good for you! If I did anything to your quadrants, it's because they deserved it."

The flimsy control Sollux had on his powers snapped in a heartbeat, and then he was screeching as blue and red lasers exploded from his eyes. His shades were vaporized immediately, melted down as he went for the indigoblood with a roar. There was a reason he never used his eye lasers, he  _knew_ what could happen, but he was so furious that he just  _broke._ Power bubbled up violently within him.

"Sollux!" he thought he heard Feferi cry, even as the indigoblood neatly stepped to one side and lashed out with his whip. The tail end of the thing wrapped around his foot and yanked, and then he was crashing to the ground and sending the psionic beams bouncing every which way. Feferi yelped as one singed her arm.

Sollux just barely managed to put a cap on the lasers before they vaporized one of his quadrants instead of his opponent. His eyes felt hot and painful, tingling; he knew that he'd made a mistake.

A tug at his ankle reminded him that he was still attached to the indigoblood's whip. There was a flash of movement, a cry from Feferi, and the next moment he was staring in awe as the dagger meant to slit his throat bounced off the prongs of her trident.

Halbir snarled. Yanked, and his whip returned to his side. "Back off, princess!"

Feferi's lip drew upward in a snarl. "You don't get to hurt him! We'll take you out together!"

 _Together._ It was a nice thought, but not nice enough to wash away the fury pulsing through his body. His eyes were already prickling with the beginnings of another involuntary attack.

"Sollux, you—!"

Whatever she was about to say was lost, though, as the psionic's eyes and hands exploded with blinding light.

Feferi screamed in horror as the beams of energy glanced off her skin, singing her clothing with the force of it all. Somewhere far off, Aradia gurgled out a protest. Even Halbir looked alarmed, trying to back away before the beams got to him.

 _No way,_ he thought through the blinding fury.  _No way I'm letting this bastard get away with his life. He fucking tortured KK, had him raped and torn down and beat the fuck up, and now he's taken a chunk out of my moirail. He's going to pay. I'll kill him._

Halbir's expression went cold and terrified as he saw the wall of psionic energy approaching. He tried to back up, of course, raise his whip and his dagger and anything else he had in order to protect himself, but it was no use. Sollux's wall of power slammed into him, and he was thrown back like a leaf.

He let the lasers lose most of their intensity just before they hit the Commander. This was going to  _hurt,_ not kill _._  Writhing tendrils of red and blue energy curled around Halbir's wrists, his ankles, slamming him to the ground and reveling in the way the red-hot energy ate away at his victim's skin, drawing forth pained gasps and cries.

 _I'll make you pay,_ he thought, fury rushing through his veins. More energy was yanked out of him, then more, wrapping around Halbir's body and constricting hard.  _I'll squeeze you until you pop._

"Sollux, stop! You're being cruel!"

 _Cruel like the way he broke my kismesis?_ A snarl tore past his lips. He squeezed harder, jabbing thousands of psionic needles into his victim's skin. Halbir screamed.

_"Sollux!"_

There was a hand on his shoulder, then, and  _no,_ that wasn't okay, this asshole had hurt Karkat and Aradia and he had to  _die._  A wave of his hand sent Feferi sprawling back behind him where she wouldn't be hurt. The instant she was out of the way he turned his attention back on his current task of jabbing psionic tendrils beneath Halbir's skin.

 _You don't deserve use of the hands that hurt KK,_ he decided, and just like that he was snapping every bone in Halbir's hands, tearing every tendon, rupturing every vein. The indigoblood started to scream, but he gagged him with a warm mass of energy before he could blow his ears out. The whip and dagger clattered to the ground.  _You don't deserve your claws, that sliced AA to ribbons._ Another flick, and the indigoblood's claws were torn right off his fingers. His whole body shuddered with horrible agony.  _You especially don't deserve your voice, that taunted every slave you ever came into contact with._ Another, and the Commander's eyes widened as his vocal cords were seized, strangled, and rended from their proper place.

Sollux had never felt so powerful, standing tall as his victim writhed in agony beneath him. He momentarily considered liquefying Halbir's brain, but quickly decided that removing his ability to feel the pain being inflicted upon his body wouldn't be as satisfying. Instead he reached in, powers sparking, and closed a vice grip around every blood vessel and vein in the Commander's body. Not bursting them, not yet, just holding tight in a very serious threat.  _It'll be slower this way. I'll let you bleed out from the inside, slow and painful. And while it's happening, I'll snap your horns right off at the bases and let you feel every agonizing second of how your body tries to live and gives up._ Psionic energy rippled around his lungs, then his heart, then his horns. Squeezed tight.

He thought he heard someone scuffling around behind him. "Sollux, stop this! You've lost control of yourself!"

Lost control? He hadn't lost control. He was going to rupture every single blood vessel in Halbir's body one by one, pull every vein until it snapped, jab psionic needles into his eyes, crack his horns, his skull, liquefy his brain when he was done. That wasn't losing control, that was just something he wanted to do.

"Sollux!" the voice repeated for what felt like the hundredth time. "Please!"

There was no reason for him to stop. A quick jerk of his power snapped both of Hablir's femurs simultaneously. "Not so tough now, are you?" he sneered. He cracked all the bones in his arms, then his legs. Worked up his ribs. The indigoblood shook with agony. "We both know this is better than what you did to KK. Fucking  _take it!"_

Halbir composed himself enough to sneer in defiance, and it was enough to send Sollux right over the edge. A roar filled the air, red and blue power mingling so closely that it turned purple, and suddenly the Commander's mouth was hanging open in a scream he no longer had the voice to make as every single blood vessel, every artery, every vein, was yanked and clawed and torn and ruptured all at once. Blood sprayed up through his mouth.

"Oh no you don't," Sollux snarled, seeing him start to tilt his head forward to cough out the blood. He yanked his head up with a burst of blue. "Fucking  _choke_  for all I care."

Halbir's eyes glazed over. He coughed once, wetly, and gagged on a mouthful of blood he wasn't being allowed to spit out. His whole body convulsed.

_"Sollux!"_

"Die like this," Sollux rumbled. Power swirled around him uncontrollably. "Die right fucking here.  _Right now_." He clamped a hold down on Halbir's horns. Twisted, cracking them back until hairline fissures began to form at the bases. All at once, the psionic hold around his lungs and heart tightened.

Then, just like that, the storm stopped.

Sollux blinked, confused. There…there was a hand on his cheek. Two hands, actually, pressing comfortingly to his flesh and wiping at tears he hadn't even realized he was shedding. A blur of gray and black and red filled his vision.

"Sollux," came a soft, familiar voice. A different voice from before. "Everything is going to be okay, do you hear me? You're okay,  _I'm_ okay, and Karkat is waiting for you back on Alternia.  _Please_  let this go. Let  _him_ go."

He struggled to make sense of what he was seeing. His mind was still scrambled, racing, trying to understand what was happening as somewhere Halbir bled out from the inside, internal organs liquidized. "I-I…"

Hands patted at his cheeks again. " _Shoosh_. Sollux,  _shoosh,_ it's okay, you've already done more than enough, you need to calm down now. I need you to regain control of your powers."

"But…he…"

"Halbir has paid with his life," was the gentle response. "You don't need to sink to his level in torturing him."

Conflict seared through him. "He hurt KK. He hurt  _you."_

"I'm fine," Aradia whispered. "It wasn't as bad as it looked. And Karkat has long since recovered. You've already taken your revenge, Sollux.  _Look_  at him."

He did. He looked straight past his moirail and sought out the prone form of Commander Halbir. His stomach twisted at the sight. The indigoblood was spread out across the ground, horns cracked back, eyes wide and blank, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth, limbs held at odd angles. His chest was barely moving.

Aradia pulled him close. "You've done enough," she repeated in a low murmur. " _You've done enough_. It's all okay now."

Slowly, the power around him started to crackle out.  _I-I've…done enough,_ he thought, dazedly, letting Aradia pull his head down to rest in the crook between neck and shoulder. His control began to return in small increments.

"There we go," Aradia purred against him. "Come back to us. Everything is going to be just fine."

Everything slid back into focus. "AA…?"

A sigh of relief puffed against his shoulder. "Yes, Sollux. It's me."

Reeling, he clutched at his moirail's clothing. He didn't even know how badly she was hurt. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," she assured him. "It was just a blow to the head that dazed me for a bit. Feferi is okay too."

 _Feferi!_  The memory of flinging her to the side accosted him, and immediately he was whipping around to apologize profusely to his matesprit.

"It's okay," the seadweller assured him, though she looked shaken. "I understand, Sollux, it's okay. Your control was already weaker because of that horrid helm; it's our fault for not realizing what would happen if we came across someone like him."

 _Someone like him._ Someone who was already dead, chest having stilled only a few moments prior.

"That was the primary handler," Aradia said. "That means the slaves have to be near here, probably locked up in their cells. I'd hazard a guess that those cells are through that set of doors right there, and that our good friend Halbir has the key."

Feferi stepped forward wordlessly and riffled through Halbir's pockets until she came away with the key to the door. Said key was inserted into the lock a moment later, the door swinging open to reveal a black stretch of nothingness below.

Feferi waved a hand. "Come on, we have to keep going. The longer we're away, the more of a risk this mission becomes."

His head was still spinning. His body was still shaking with the force of what he'd just done. But still he let Aradia draw him along gently, pulling him toward the black room, or hallway, or whatever it was.

Then the area was flooded with light, and he realized that it wasn't just a hallway, it was a hallway with dozens and dozens of cells sprouting off either side. It looked like they'd found the living quarters of the slaves.

Almost immediately, hundreds of eyes were peeking out from behind the bars with varying degrees of surprise, hope, and confusion.

"Oh my god," Feferi whispered. "There are hundreds of them."

"Hundreds that we need to save," Sollux agreed. "So let's get to work."

 

* * *

 

Nepeta checked her sylladex one last time to make sure it was true, and it was. Every single bomb had been placed around the Empire forces. It had been hard, sneaking around as she had to place all of them properly, but she'd managed it without a hitch. The instant those bombs were detonated— _if_ they were detonated—they would wipe out the majority of the Empire forces currently trying to force their way into the base.

It was quiet when she made her way back into the tunnel that would take her back to where Equius and the others were hiding. It looked like the Empire forces hadn't managed to break into the base yet, which was good for everyone except the Empire themselves. They were trying, bashing at walls and firing weapons at the blockaded entrances, but nothing was working. Equius's rebels had done their job well. Gamzee had, too. It was just a shame that he was nowhere to be found.

 _We just have to hold out until those bombs can be detonated,_ she thought,  _or until someone else can come help us. I wish we could use these tunnels for all of us to escape, but…it's just so close to where the Empire is waiting. They'd spot us in an instant; it's a miracle they didn't see_ me _._

All she could do was wait, then. Go back to Equius, surround herself with what remained of their chapter of the rebellion, and wait.

 

* * *

 

Footsteps echoed through the ballroom of Feferi's underwater base, loud and menacing as the tall, dark figure of the Condesce approached the back of the room. The place was almost comically large, perfect for her purposes. It only had one way in, and one way out _. Even more perfect._

"Is this satisfactory, then?" Rohdan asked from a respectful distance.

"Very," she purred. A flick of her wrist sent a carbon copy of her throne crashing to the ground. She sprawled out across it with a smirk.

Rohdan was at her side in a heartbeat. "Do you really think this is going to work?"

"Darling, I  _know_ this is going to work. Believe me when I say that if we stay here, the leaders of the rebellion will be drawn right into our hands. Whether they go for the bait or not, they'll end up here eventually."

"And you're really not worried that the rebels are going to pull one over on us? That they have some kind of sneaky plan that's going on behind our backs?"

She smiled, and her teeth glinted bright in the low light of the ballroom. "Rohdan, darling—even if they do, they'll be taken down long before they have the chance to execute it."

And there was really no arguing with that.


	44. Lara

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the midst of the chaos, Karkat and Eridan come face to face with the Condesce.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are SO CLOSE to being done with this story. The next chapter is the last one with actual combat, and then there'll be an epilogue to tie everything up. I'm a little stunned that it's going to be over so soon...
> 
> This week's chapter is [ Lara ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-UshRI9FhI) by Phil Lober. And again, listen to the songs for the last few chapters! I really, REALLY recommend it.

"Everyone into the ship!" Sollux barked, urging the slaves along faster as they filed into Eridan's vessel. The thing was huge, large enough to fit  _thousands_ of slaves rather than the four hundred or so on board, and so the slaves were eager to rush aboard. Some of them had been reluctant when Feferi had explained the situation, thinking the Empire would find them and kill them for escaping. But then they'd been told that their ship was rigged to explode, that the Empire planned to kill them upon their defeat, and they no longer had any issues with fleeing. Most of them were already on Eridan's ship.

"That's about all of them," Feferi said, smiling bright. "We just need to grab the psionics out of the battery room, get them aboard, send the bombs off into deep space, and we should be good."

"Split up?" Feferi offered. "I can take the bombs and jettison them in an escape pod; you and Aradia can head down and grab the psionics."

"Sounds good to me," Aradia said. "We'll give you the bombs and get going."

They did just that. Bombs were handed over, Feferi told the slaves to stay put (not that they could take off if they tried, not without a battery), and off the three of them went.

Sollux knew where the batteries were kept. He found his way to the one lift that would take them to the battery room, led Aradia down to the lowest level of the ship, and there they were. In a hallway with a set of double doors at one end, leading right out into the room that would no doubt contain dozens of batteries.

They pushed open the doors, stepped inside, and Sollux was in hell.

There were exactly twelve of them, strapped in and being drained dry. He didn't want to look closely, but he could tell that some of them had had their horns filed down so they'd fit easier to the equipment. Some of them were missing eyes. Others entire limbs. One was dripping blood from the mouth.

"Let's get this over with," Sollux rasped, low and rough. He was already swallowing down bile as he moved numbly to the first battery and started tearing. "They've been in here less than a month; they still have a chance."

Aradia said nothing, just got to work copying Sollux's movements on the next battery over. Before they knew it, two were freed and breathing steadily on the ground as they moved on to the next pair, then the next, and the next.

Sollux tapped at the face of the one bleeding from the mouth. "This one's really far gone. I hope she'll be okay…"

A gentle touch at his cheek stopped his emotions from spiraling any further out of control. He took a deep breath, calmed himself, and worked at freeing the last of the batteries. Before long all twelve were freed and the two were standing back to consider the next step.

"Do you think you can handle using your powers to lift half of them?" Aradia whispered. "I know you still don't have the best control."

He flicked out a tendril experimentally. Then, "I can handle it. I'm not upset, so I won't hurt them."

Aradia didn't question it, just nodded and stepped aside as Sollux used his psionics to bundle six of the bodies up and float them toward the door. She copied him a few moments later, and then the two of them were moving.

"It's all done!" Feferi announced when they returned to the ship and deposited the psionics in the room containing the helm. "The bombs have been jettisoned into deep space. And I see you have the psionics!"

"Yes, and all of them are alive," Aradia said. "We'll hook one of them into the helm for the journey and get them all out the instant we land. Sollux can take all of them to the underwater base, where they'll be safe."

"Let's not waste any time, then. Any preference for which one is strapped in?"

Sollux cringed. The thought of choosing someone to suffer being hooked back in…it didn't sit right with him. Eventually he managed to rasp out, "Anyone but the girl bleeding from the mouth. I think she'll die if she has to go in again."

Aradia gave a stoic nod. "Okay, then. I'll take care of it." She lifted one of the psionics, a tealblood with sanded-down nubs for horns, and offered her to the helm. The goopy surface wasn't the smooth construct it had been when Sollux had gotten in. Rather, it was still taken apart and dented and torn from where it had held him. He hoped that wouldn't cause issues.

Aradia frowned when the helm didn't immediately react to the presence of a battery. She shoved the battery harder against the goop, hoping that the ship would snap out of it and absorb the energy it needed.

"Why isn't it grabbing her?" Feferi whispered.

Aradia shook her head. Cast the tealblood aside, reaching for a yellowblood like Sollux and offering her to the helm instead. Still, there was no reaction.

"Is it broken?" Feferi hissed. "Why isn't it accepting them?"

A sinking feeling settled in Sollux's stomach as he stared at the goop. The goop that was configured in the exact right position for  _him_.

Aradia tried another psionic, then another. When nothing happened, she let out a frustrated growl. "What's wrong with it? Sollux, do you know?"

Sollux didn't answer. He just stared at the thing, the helm meant to suck psionics in, and knew what had happened. A step brought him close enough to reach out and hover his fingertips inches from the organic goop.

The helm reacted.

"What?" Feferi whispered, just as Aradia reached out to yank Sollux back. "Why is it reacting to you and not the others?"

Sollux squeezed his eyes closed. "It's too soon."

"What do you mean?"

"It's too soon," he repeated. "You just ripped me out of the helm a few hours ago, and it hasn't had time to reset itself yet. It's still configured to take  _me._ "

Aradia's grip on his arm tightened. "No. We'll just have to wait for it to reconfigure."

"That could take hours, or even days," Sollux protested softly. "AA, we don't have a choice. It wants _me."_

"Well it can't have you!" was the acidic response. "Sollux, you've already had to merge with this thing one time today, and you barely came out of it alive! What's going to happen if you get another dose of that liquid?"

He let his head fall. "I don't know. But there's not exactly another choice here."

"We can—!"

"We can't do  _anything_. Either I get strapped back into this thing for a few more minutes, or we let hundreds of innocent trolls die out here. Take your pick."

Feferi's expression crumpled. Aradia's remained deceptively calm.

Quietly, Sollux withdrew himself from their grasp and stepped back toward the helm. Neither of them said a word as he offered just his fingertips to the thing, letting the goop crawl up his skin just like it had the first place. "Shit," he breathed, knowing full well what he was signing himself up for. "I really wish you guys had just left me plugged in so I wouldn't have to go through this all over again."

"I'm sorry," Feferi whispered. "I'm the one that decided to pull you out."

"We didn't know," Aradia agreed, sounding stricken.

Sollux just shook his head. "No, it's okay. You couldn't have known." The slime was still crawling up his arm. It was beginning to draw him in. "Just…tell the slaves that if they want to fight, they need to riffle through the living quarters and find something to wear and something to wield. Make sure they know what they're getting themselves into, and if they want to help, send them to help KK's team. The two of you need to return to VK and TZ the instant you get back, and I'll take the psionics and any slaves that don't want to fight back to the underwater base. Once they're safe, I'll return to the military base and continue monitoring the battle. Sound good?"

Aradia and Feferi both dipped their heads in agreement. "Just don't let yourself fall in too deep," his moirail told him gently. "It was hard enough getting you out last time."

"You'll just have to trust me." Sollux took a step closer to the goop. It curled onto his clothing hopefully. "I guess…I'll see you later."

"Yeah…we'll see you later."

Everything blurred the second time around. He knew that he was being sucked in, positioned correctly, dosed with more of that sickly black liquid, but he hardly felt it before suddenly he was being sucked clean of energy. His eyes felt dangerously hot, like he was sporting a fever. His powers were being strained, especially after that incident with Halbir (who the Condesce had apparently left to die with the slaves in the event of their defeat. Irony).

He wasn't coherent for the journey. His eyes hurt. His hands hurt. That was all he knew until suddenly, after what could have been minutes or hours, he was being mercilessly yanked from the ship's grasp and laid out on the ground with a blurry red and gray figure leaning over him.

"You're okay," the figure whispered. Aradia, he thought, but his mind was still too scrambled to make sense of the situation. "God, Sollux, your eyes…you can't use your powers again or you'll burn out."

His  _eyes._ They were burning. They'd never felt like this before.

"Do you think you can handle taking him and the others to the underwater base I described?" Not to him. To someone else.

"Yes," said an unfamiliar voice. "My powers are strong, and I've plucked the exact location from your mind. They'll be safe with me."

"Good," Aradia said. "Sollux, we're going to do what you said. Feferi and I are going back to Vriska and Terezi, and we're sending the slaves that want to fight to Karkat. Only a few have refused, and we're sending those to help get you and the other psionics to the underwater base. As soon as you feel better, you can go back to the military base to continue monitoring the battle. Do you understand?"

He rolled his head to one side in an approximation of a nod. His fucking  _eyes_.

She repeated, "Good. Stay alive, Sollux. We'll see you soon."

 

* * *

 

"Drive them back!" Vriska commanded, standing atop a raised area of the battlefield as she watched her rebels tear the Empire to shreds. The equilibrium had shifted, the balance tipping in their favor, and suddenly they were  _winning._  Not winning significantly, but winning enough to start pushing the troops back through the city to the point where the bombs had been laid. If they could keep them there long enough, they'd either be picked off by rebels or by the explosives when they eventually went off. They would  _win_.

And those chances of winning only doubled, then tripled, when Feferi and Aradia appeared out of nowhere.

"You made it!" Vriska exclaimed. "Did you free the slaves and all that heroic bullshit?"

"Sure did!" Feferi chirped. "The bombs on the flagship have been jettisoned into deep space, the slaves are joining the fight with Karkat's group, and Sollux and the psionics from the flagship have all been sent to my castle. They'll be safe there, so all we have to do is win here!"

"We should almost be able to set off those nasty bombs, then," Vriska said with a smirk. "As soon as we get the all clear from the other two bases, we can just disarm one of them and cause the others to detonate."

"And who's going to disarm one of them, exactly?" Aradia asked. "It's a good plan, using the bombs, but we don't know how to set them off without disarming one—and if we do that, someone will obviously have to be close enough to do it. They'll die in the blast."

"There has to be another way," Vriska protested. "We just need to find a way to interrupt the signal between the bombs, some method of making them go off from a distance."

"We can't even think about that until we're sure the other bases are safe from the explosions," Aradia reminded them. "If we set one off, they all explode. We could end up killing our own."

Vriska turned up her nose. "Well, we're already winning anyway—no bombs necessary! We'll just keep doing what we're doing until every last one of these Empire scumbags is picked off and fed to the dogs."

Aradia's shoulders slumped with relief. "Sounds good to me."

"Let's do this, then." Vriska held up her dice, a smirk on her face. Rolled them. Then she was charging, swathed in bright blue light, ready to send the last of the Empire right into a minefield.

She whipped through the throng like a hurricane. There were far more rebels than Empire troops at this point, and she eagerly picked out those in the telltale uniforms, slashing their wrists or their throats or just any part of them she could reach until there were even fewer left than before.

Things were good, then. Good until a teal flash split the air before her, and suddenly she was being shoved back by an all too familiar troll.

"Commander Lihrak!" Vriska snapped, recognizing the former leader of the military from that city. "What the fuck are you doing?"

He snarled. "Taking drastic measures. Clearly this isn't going the way I planned, so I'm going to kill you and then all the rebels who think I'm one of them because of what I'm wearing."

"You're a traitor, then," Vriska said sarcastically. "I'm so surprised!"

Another snarl. "Fuck off, Serket! I worked hard to get all those bombs planted just like the Condesce wanted, and—"

"Why am I not surprised?" Vriska sighed. "Let me guess, it was you and a plucky group of fellow traitors, contacted by the Condesce via some convoluted mindfuckery."

The tealblood raised a twin pair of blades. Sneered, "It was a one-time broadcast, send directly to the command center in those precious hours before you arrived with your group of lackeys. I could never get a signal back to warn the Empire about your plans thanks to your relentless guarding of the transmission room, but at the very least I managed to do the Empress' will! Now here you are, undoing all our hard work, and we're fucking losing!"

"What was it you said to me?" Vriska took one step forward, two. "That you didn't fight battles you couldn't win? I'd advise you to reconsider that statement before you act."

Lihrak didn't back down. "This is betrayal of the worse kind, and I won't stand for it! I gave you my city to bide my time, to find an opening because I knew my people would kill me if I didn't, but this has gone too far! I'll kill you and move on to your moirail, then the others. Hell, maybe I'll stick a trident in the Heiress and kill the rebels' spirit here and now!"

"Big talk coming from someone who's going to die in the next few minutes."

"That goes both ways, Serket."

Vriska cackled, raising her cutlass without a hint of fear. "Have at it, then, Commander. Test your mettle against a former fleet captain."

The tealblood shrieked with fury and launched himself forward, twin blades clanging down on Vriska's cutlass. A foot lashed out, quick as lightning in an attempt to put the blueblood on the ground, but she stepped cleanly to one side and slashed down until the rusted edge of her blade sliced just barely into gray skin.

"Sloppy," Vriska hissed spitefully. Another sidestep. A slash. A cry of pain. "Did you really think you'd be any challenge for the likes of me? I was exploring galaxies with the Empire while you were back here training wrigglers fresh from their 'coons!"

The tealblood regained his footing just in time to dodge the next stab thrown his way, dancing to one side and swirling his blades from side to side in an elegant distraction from the kick that was suddenly crashing into Vriska's knee. It fucking  _hurt,_ too, but she managed to throw herself back before any serious damage could be inflicted. She wasn't going to let herself go down that easily, not to someone she'd already expected treachery from.

The tealblood took a surprisingly artful sidestep and hacked at Vriska's ankles as he moved. Blue leaked from the small gash he'd managed to create.

"You bastard!" Vriska hissed furiously. Her dice appeared in one hand, and she chucked them with fierce determination toward the earth. A flash, a cry of triumph, and then a twin cutlass was appearing in her other hand just in time for her to take a whirling swipe at her opponent. "Not so cocky now that we're on even ground, are you?"

Lihrak bared his teeth. "Fuck off!" Then he was attacking again in a whirlwind of steel, slashing his blades from side to side, this way and that, flicking out in feints that quickly turned into vicious stabs and slices. he was  _good,_ which was almost surprising considering his position as a lowly military commander. He moved like his blades were extensions of his own body, reaching for Vriska with bladed fingers in hopes of ripping her heart out, using the moments where she stumbled as opportunities to lash out with his heavy boots and put bruises all over the blueblood's legs.

Still, the end to the battle was a foregone conclusion. As Vriska looked around, she saw that the rebels were chasing the last few Empire troops from the city gates, out to where the bombs awaited them. The city was almost theirs.

"Give up," Vriska snarled, managing to kick Lihrak back as she saw the surrounding rebels turning to their former commander with hatred in their eyes, picking him out as one of the last remaining targets. "There's no way you win this."

Lihrak's eyes darted around at the ring of troops. "So this is how loyalty dies, is it? With dirt-blooded children clawing at its corpse?"

"Something like that," Vriska said. She twirled a cutlass in one hand. "Though I wouldn't go as far as to say  _all_ loyalty is stricken down with the outcome of this battle. Rather, I'd hazard a guess at saying allegiance to the Empire will soon be a thing of the past."

A growl emanated from the tealblood's chest, low and dangerous. "Say what you will, we both know that the Empire will  _never_ be quenched entirely. You can win this battle now, Captain Serket, but you won't win the war—even if it's a war that carries on long after the two of us have been put in the ground."

Vriska didn't waste another moment. She drove her blades forward, crossing them over the tealblood's neck, and snapped them together with the slick sound of metal tearing through flesh. The former commander's head hit the ground with a wet-sounding thud. His body slumped to the ground, lifeless.

"Stay where you belong," Vriska rumbled threateningly, though she knew Lihrak was long past the ability to hear her. " _Commander_."

The city was theirs.

"Advance to the city gates!" she heard Feferi calling above the din, though she couldn't quite pinpoint her location. "Rebels, hold the line! It's too dangerous to pursue them into a minefield, but if we back off they'll only return to the city and continue their attack! We cannot show weakness!"

_Well spoken,_ Vriska thought, wiping spatters of blood from her brow. The rebels were already moving, surging along the streets and through alleyways to make sure no Empire troops remained within the city, swarming the city gates and guarding them from the troops that were still fleeing into the surrounding fields to regroup. The injured were already pulling back to be treated, without ever having been ordered to do so.  _They're cohesive. Almost like a real army._

"Impressive, aren't they?"

Vriska looked up to see Terezi landing at her side, metal wings whining with every movement. "Impressive," she echoed softly, watching the troops they'd cultivated stare down the Empire with deadly determination. "I think…"  _I think we might actually win this._ But she didn't say it aloud, knowing that to do so would only bring the worst luck.

"Me too," was the quiet response. "I just hope the other cities are doing as well as we are."

Vriska just shook her head. "I'm going to try to contact Sollux and ask about the bombs. Make sure this line holds while I'm away."

Terezi raised a hand in a mock salute, teeth poking out over her gums in a playful grin. "Aye aye, captain. I don't think the Empire will regroup anytime soon, anyway. It'll take a while for them to come running back."

"See that it stays that way. I'll be back soon."

 

* * *

 

Sollux was on his feet again by the time him and the other rescued trolls reached the underwater base. He was still shaky, his eyes were still hot, the grip he had on his powers was still tenuous at best, but he was managing to walk again.

"Where should we drop them?" one of the slaves asked, the rustblood using his telekinetic powers to hoist the twelve unconscious psionics through the doors. There were two others with him, former slaves that were too weak to fight.

"If you follow that hallway there, you'll run right into a lift like the ones on the flagship," Sollux told them. "Hit the number nine on the thing and you'll be taken to the highest level, where the infirmary is. Wait there and don't come out no matter what you hear. We'll come back for you, assuming we win the battle, and if we don't then you can just hide here for as long as it takes. The Empire doesn't know this base is here."

The rustblood gave a grave nod. "Thank you, Admiral Captor."

_Admiral._ He wasn't sure how that title made him feel. "Stay safe, you guys."

Another nod, then the lot of them were vanishing down the leftmost hallway.

Sollux slumped against the wall the instant they were gone. He knew he needed to get up, to go back to the military base and continue monitoring the battle, but he was just so  _tired._ His eyes were hot and burning, his whole body ached and he just…he just felt  _tired._ That was really the only word for it.

There was a sudden blip at his earpiece, and he knew that he wasn't going to have the chance to rest and recover. Someone was already calling him.

"Hello?" he rasped weakly as the earpiece connected to whoever it was that was sending him a call.

_"Sollux!"_ called a familiar voice.  _"The third city has been taken under rebel control. All Empire troops have been driven to the outer fields, where all bombs in the city are waiting to detonate. The threat has mostly been neutralized."_

He blinked, stunned. "Really? VK, that's amazing! If you go help—"

_"We can't go anywhere,"_ she broke in.  _"The instant we show signs of backing down, the Empire is just going to try and throw themselves at us again. But we can't attack them head on, because we'll just be putting ourselves in the field where all those bombs are located. We've won, but we've also managed to become involved in a stalemate."_

"Not really winning, then," Sollux groaned. "What are you asking me to do?"

_"Hang on, I'm not done reporting to you yet. I just tried to contact Equius's team, and he told me that they've been trapped in the military base."_

Fear thrilled through him. "They're losing?"

_"Already lost is more like it. He said that the Empire pushed them back until they were forced to barricade themselves inside the base. They're trapped there, waiting for help."_

"And you can't send help because the Empire will attack you again if you do," Sollux reasoned. "It sounds like they're waiting for help, too, before they make another attempt."

_"That's about it. I contacted Karkat's team as well to see if they could send support for Equius, but they're pretty pinned as it is. Not quite winning, not quite losing. They can't afford to send anyone."_

"What are you expecting me to do, then?" Sollux asked. "Surely you have something in mind."

_"As a matter of fact, I do. I want you to make sure that all the bombs are in locations that are safe for detonation, because I'm aiming to make all of them explode at once. That'll wipe out the remaining Empire troops on my end, and we can go help Equius's group, then Karkat's. We'll take all three cities in one fell swoop."_

Sollux frowned. "How are you planning to detonate the bombs, assuming they're all in safe positions? Right now all we can do is disarm one of them to make the others explode, and someone will have to be close enough to do it. Whoever disarms the first bomb will die. Even if you go out on a limb and say that jostling one around enough will make it go off, someone will  _still_ have to get close enough to set it off—and seeing as this is the Condesce we're talking about, knowing that the detonation of those bombs would probably blast the face off Alternia altogether, she would probably make sure that those bombs are tamper-proof. I doubt even a blast from the Crosshairs could set them off, what with that preventative casing."

_"Yeah, we figured that out. We'll figure out_ how  _we're setting them off once we know that it's safe to do so. So can you look at your map and just tell me if all the bombs have been moved to a safe distance?"_

He groaned. Everything just hurt so badly, and he wanted nothing more than to curl up and fall asleep. But this was necessary. He pulled out his handheld and flicked through the screens until he found the map of where the signals were coming from. Hmm…it looked like in the third city, all the bombs had been relocated to the fields outside the city. The city would be safe from the blasts, just like Vriska said. In space, all bomb signals had disappeared into deep space. In the second city…

"Oh," Sollux said flatly. "Oh, no."

_"Sollux? What is it?"_

"All the bombs in the second city have been relocated to right around the military base. Far enough away so that the blast won't touch it, but the surrounding buildings are definitely going to get it."

_"Why would they…?"_

"You said they were trapped in the military base, didn't you? If those bombs go off around that base, all the Empire troops trying to get inside will be blown right the fuck up."

_"Yeah, but so will half the city!"_

"A necessary evil if they want to live."

Vriska sighed through the mic.  _"Yeah, I guess you're right. Better to rebuild buildings than mourn lost lives. Plus, if we manage to detonate the bombs, we'll be saving two cities simultaneously. What about your city?"_

"Hmm…" Sollux checked the map again. Ladcai should have taken care of all the bombs by now. Sure enough, he didn't see a single signal coming from the military base. Just to be sure, he scanned over the battlefield and made sure that all the signals were coming from the empty fields outside the city. Detonating the bombs wouldn't be helping Karkat and his team, unfortunately, seeing as they hadn't managed to push the Empire back, but it was worth it if it would save the other two cities. "Yeah, it looks like all the bombs are…" Then he paused.

_"Sollux?"_

His finger touched the screen just to make sure he wasn't imagining it. Then, "There's a signal coming from inside the underwater base. Where  _I_ am. I don't remember it being there before…"

_"Another bomb?"_

"Yeah, yeah… He squinted at the screen. It looked like it was coming from the ballroom. Had…that been there before? He didn't remember seeing a signal there. "Hey, I'm just going to take care of it. I'll message you back in a little while, after this last bomb has been moved out of the base."

A sigh.  _"Just hurry it up, Captor. None of us want to find out what happens when the Empire manages to break into the second city's base."_

He gave a quick nod. "I'm on it." Then he was shutting down the earpiece, tucking away his handheld, and staggering back to his feet. God, he felt awful. But he had to take care of this. He'd grab the bomb, chuck it into the ocean or something, then make his way back up to the military base. There was only so much monitoring he could do while away from his station, and he knew Karkat had to have been getting antsy in his extended absence.

An arm stayed firmly planted to the wall as he made his way for the ballroom. He thought he might fall over if he took it away; making it there was harder than he would have liked. Every step made him feel just a little more lightheaded. By the time he reached the closed doors, he was swaying just slightly.

_I'm so close,_ he told himself.  _Just open the doors, grab the bomb, and you can get on with your life. You're almost done. You can—_

Then he shoved the doors open, saw what was waiting for him, and froze in his tracks.

"Well hello, Helmsman, dear!" purred a voice that was so like Feferi's but so  _unlike_  it at the same time. "Why don't you come in here and we can have a nice chat?"

Sollux opened his mouth to call out for help that wasn't there. By the time his lips so much as parted, he was out.

 

* * *

 

Karkat was right where he'd been since the beginning, fighting a battle that refused to tip either way, when his earpiece suddenly fuzzed over with static.

_"Karkat."_

He cringed at the feel of the white noise behind his kismesis' voice. "Captor, what the fuck? Are you back? Are you okay? Where are the bombs?"

_"Karkat, I need you and Eridan to come to the ballroom in the underwater base."_

Something felt wrong about that. Sollux's tone, the way he was saying their names… "Hey, are you okay? You sound weird."

_"I'm fine,"_ was the stiff response.  _"Look, Karkat, there's something here that I really need you for. It's dangerous discussing it over these lines; I think the Condesce might be listening in on our communications. Just…just bring Eridan and get here, okay? I need the two of you."_

"What happened to the Empire suspecting we were up to something if the two of us vanished?"

_"Just come to me!"_

It was said so sharply, so violently, that it made Karkat jump. "Sollux…"

There was a click, and the earpiece went dead. Yeah, something was definitely wrong there.

"Eridan!" Karkat called above the din of battle. It took only a heartbeat for the seadweller to appear at his side. "We need to go."

"Go?" Eridan echoed, stunned. "Go where? This is a fuckin' battle, in case you hadn't noticed, and—!"

"Something's wrong with Sollux. I think he's hurt."

"Wha—?"

"He asked the two of us to get to the ballroom. We need to go."

Eridan latched a hand onto his upper arm. "Kar, are you sure?"

"I'm sure. I think…I think his brain is probably a little scrambled from being strapped into the helm and whatnot, and that he's hurt and in danger, and that this is really important and we have to  _help_ him. When has he ever led us astray before?"

"I guess…" Eridan glanced around them. Then he sighed. "You're right. If he's ordering us to get there, it has to be important. Sol wouldn't pull us out of the battle for somethin' that didn't matter." He raised his voice, then, calling, "Kan, hold down the fort while we're gone!"

"What? Where on Alternia could you possibly be going at a time like this?"

"Sol called us to the ballroom in Fef's castle," Eridan explained. "Has to be important, so we're goin'. You should be okay with the reinforcements from the flagship!"

The slaves. They'd appeared in a wave, hundreds of them, and crushed the Empire from the other side. Now they were fighting alongside the rest of the rebels to destroy their oppressors.

Kanaya's brow furrowed. "Okay, but stay in contact. I don't want to hear about either of you dying."

"We'll be okay. Kar, let's get out of here and help Sol."

 

* * *

 

"Good boy," the Condesce whispered, releasing Sollux's horns and finally breaking eye contact. "You did exactly as I asked; you did good."

Sollux felt ill. He'd just…to Karkat…

He knew what he'd meant, now. He knew what Karkat had meant when he'd said that the Condesce left you no choice when she took control. It was a horrible, seeping coldness in his veins, a warm buzzing in his head even as his extremities went icy with the chill of it all. There wasn't a chance to protest. Only a pressure, dark and painful, until he gave in without realizing he was doing it.

He hadn't been strong enough. And now…

"Your kismesis and his treacherous little matesprit will be here soon enough," the Condesce hummed. "And while they're here dyin', the rest of the rebels will be picked off."

Sollux choked on a growl. "That's not going to happen. You're  _losing."_

"Am I, now? That's news to me. The way I see it, all I'm doin' is wiping out those unfit to be under my command."

He stared. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"It means, my dear Helmsman, that if those under my command are weak enough to lose to the rebels, they don't deserve to serve me in the first place. I'm purifyin' the Empire here, kid. The rebels will be wiped out by only the strongest of my servants, while the weaker of them will be slaughtered and removed from service. In the end, I will command only the most powerful trolls alive."

"That's ridiculous," Sollux rasped. "If you do that, you'll only have a few hundred trolls  _left!_  Everyone else will be wiped out!"

"And so we will rebuild, using only the most powerful of bloodlines. Everything I do, dear Helmsman, is for a reason. I allowed Karkat to escape so he could kill you and erase any possibility of him becoming a martyr, no matter what  _redemption_ he attempted. I allowed Eridan to flee my grasp to draw out the traitors hiding in plain sight. I waited to attack this planet for the same purpose, so that I could kill all those would dare oppose me. Allowin' you to kill my troops is no exception to the rule; once you're done I'll have the beginnings of a pure, unstoppable army. No talk of rebellion will ever occur again. Besides, I've actually heard that we're evenly matched at the moment! One city gained, one city lost, one city hovering somewhere in between. You aren't as powerful as you hoped you would be."

"And you're not as powerful as you thought, either," Sollux said. "You planned it all out, yes, but you also failed to predict Vriska Serket crippling your ship and setting you back by over a week. You had someone place bombs all over the three cities, but you never thought that we'd find them and relocate them."

The Condesce smirked. "Didn't I? While I'll admit that I wasn't entirely certain you would take the bait, I did have a plan in case you did."

His blood ran cold. "What?"

"Of course I considered the possibility that you would realize there were bombs placed all over the cities! Who do you think I am? The way I saw it, there were two possible outcomes: either you didn't take the bait, and I blasted you all apart upon the almost  _impossible_  event of my defeat, or you did take the bait, and you ended up playing right into my hands. Either way, I win. Now that you've bitten, there's no way you can win. You're here alone with me, after all, and soon Karkat and Eridan will suffer the same fate."

"Why plant the bombs at all, then?" he asked, voice shaking. "If you were so certain you would win."

"It's always good to have insurance," was the careless response. "Besides, it kept the lot of you busy for a while, long enough to make my way here without being spotted, long enough for the Empire to pick just a few more rebels off. It also had the lovely effect of splitting you up. And you, in particular, are showing signs of having been integrated into a helm or two in the past few hours. How did it feel, knowing that was your ancestor's whole world for a few hundred sweeps?"

Sollux almost used his powers, then, but had to stop himself. He'd burn out if he used them now.

"Oh, can't use your powers?" the Condesce purred. "That's a rather nasty side effect of helmswork, I'll give you that. I'll admit that I didn't expect you to travel all the way out to the flagship to take care of those bombs! But you did, and now you're here, and I'm going to obliterate you where you stand. It'll be a nice sight for dear Karkat to walk in on, wouldn't you say? His kismesis stretched dead across the ground? Or no…that would be too easy." She hummed. "Oh, I know!"

Sollux yelped as rings of red and blue energy closed around his ankles and yanked  _hard_. Not his psionics, but hers. They wrenched him forward with no room for complaint, slid him across the ground until he was lying at her feet. Power tried to explode from his eyes, strained by the utter lack of control, and he had to clamp down on them. He couldn't use them, he  _couldn't._ Any more and he'd lose them entirely. Unfortunately, that made him helpless. The Condesce could do with him what she pleased, and he couldn't lift a finger. Not in his battered, bruised body.

More energy. A ring around his throat, tugging him up and holding him on his knees. He was fucking  _kneeling_ in front of her, and there was nothing he could do. Every muscle was locked tight between stripes of red and blue.

"Save yourself," came a soft, dangerous whisper, and immediately his mind went blank with that same, driving need that came from being ordered by the Condesce.  _Save yourself._ Why had he been ordered that, though? Save himself from her? It wasn't possible.

He quickly realized that that was the point.

He felt it before he saw it. The Condesce's eyes glowed with red and blue, lasers warming up in a very deliberate sign that she was about to fire her lasers right into his face. Sollux was reminded suddenly, bitterly, of those fights he'd used to have with Eridan back in the game, where he'd used those very lasers to block the Crosshairs from rending him in two. It was a sick sort of déjà vu.

The Condesce fired, lasers screeching for his face at point blank range.

_Save yourself._

He did.

Before he could realize what was happening, that command was taking over and mingling with the instinct to  _survive._ His eyes went hot, heart constricting, body tingling, and by the time he understood the consequences of what he was doing it was too late. Lasers leapt from his eyes in response, psionic energy crackling in excess due to his lowered control, and crashed into the Condesce's with incredible power.

He thought he heard a laugh from behind the utter agony, the horrible, screaming pain behind his eyes as his powers tried to save his life. He couldn't be sure, though. Not through the screams, the horrible, endless noise echoing from his throat. His eyes felt like they were being gouged out—and to his horror, it wasn't far from the truth.

Everything turned white. A sharp, agonizing jolt ran straight from his eye sockets to his spine.

Then, just like that, it was over.

Sollux choked on a breath as the impossible heat vanished. The Condesce had stopped firing at him. He was still alive. And…he knew why. When he reached for his powers, nothing answered him.

This time, he was certain he heard the Condesce laugh. "I suppose I won't be able to take you as my helmsman after all. What a shame."

Nausea took him in a bolt, and he heaved onto the ground that he could no longer see.

Behind him, two sets of footsteps echoed. Karkat and Eridan had arrived.

 

* * *

 

Karkat sprinted through the underwater base, Eridan at his side, drawn by the sound of lasers shaking the walls.  _The ballroom,_ Sollux had said, and so the two of them tore through the halls in search of the room they'd been in a hundred times before. If Sollux was using his lasers to fight someone, things had to be bad. He  _never_  used them unless it was a life or death situation.

"There it is!" Eridan gasped, as if Karkat  _couldn't_ see the gaping doors and the furious storm of psionic energy within. Their speed picked up.

Karkat didn't even hesitate. He tried to dash into the room, tried to skirt around the psionics, and was immediately thrown back into Eridan.

"Woah!" the seadweller choked, "careful! Kar, you can't fuckin' do that!"

His head spun from the force of being flung back. "Fuck…that shit is  _strong_. We need to get in there and help him!"

That turned out to be easier than they would have thought, really—the instant they tried to move in again, the wave of psionic energy subsided and there was the sound of something thumping to the ground.

Karkat got there before Eridan did. He dashed forward, bursting through the doors, staring frantically into the room, and—

He froze.  _Sollux…_

The Condesce loomed above the body of his kismesis, a nasty grin on her face as she flicked him to one side with a bolt of blue power. The psionic struck the wall and slid down motionlessly. Completely unconscious. And his  _eyes._  His  _skin._

Karkat tried to say something and choked on the first syllable. Immediately the Condesce turned to look at him. Her grin widened.

"Vantas," she purred, his name like poison on her lips. "How kind of you to join us."

He couldn't take his eyes off Sollux. Sollux, who could very well be dead, slumped against the wall with a sickening mishmash of yellow and white leaking from his empty eye sockets, with lightning bolt scars crisscrossing every inch of visible skin. Psionic burnout. Had to be.

"You're just in time," the Condesce went on. "I've just taken care of your dear kismesis."

Again, Karkat choked on a response. Eridan appeared behind him and sucked in a shocked breath.

"Oh, and my dear Vice Admiral! I thought you'd never arrive."

Eridan gulped. "Empress…"

" _Fins,"_ she taunted. "Good to see you're still as alive and traitorous as ever!"

Karkat felt the seadweller press fearfully to his side. He was shaking. "I suppose this was all one of your plans, was it?" he asked warily. "Lure us here using Sol, then slaughter us and tell the rebellion their leaders are dead?"

A sharp, dangerous smirk. "Somethin' like that, fins, yeah. Plus, us bein' here gives us all the time in the world to  _play_."

"Play?" Eridan echoed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The Condesce didn't answer. Instead she lashed out, sharply and without mercy, and suddenly Eridan was screeching in horror as he was yanked into her arms.

"Eridan!" Karkat choked. "No—!"

"Shh…" The Condesce soothed, holding Eridan's back to her chest and just keeping him there like a favored pet. A talon pressed to the side of his neck, warningly. If he moved, he'd be gutted like a fish. "Don't worry, fins, I have no intention of killin' you yet. Breathe deep."

Eridan whimpered. "Kar…"

Karkat didn't dare move. His matesprit was about half a second from death, and he couldn't do  _anything._

"Now," the Empress whispered, "here's how this is goin' to work. We're goin' to sit here, fins, and we're goin' to be  _entertained_." She sat back into her throne, Eridan in her lap and visibly terrified. "Rohdan, why don't you come out here for me?"

_No._

He heard him before he saw him. Light footsteps, the swish of heavy clothing, and the next moment Karkat was staring in horror as a very familiar blueblood emerged seemingly from thin air, broadsword already hefted over one shoulder. He looked downright murderous, eager for whatever came next. Whatever he'd been  _promised_.

And right now, it looked like he'd been promised  _him._

"As we discussed, Vice Admiral," the Condesce said gleefully. "Kill him."

_"No!"_ Eridan cried, and for the first time he thrashed against the seadweller holding him hostage. All that earned him was a set of claws right over his heart, though, and he went deathly still in a heartbeat. "Kar!"

Rohdan leered nastily. "I do wish this wasn't necessary,  _Karkat._  I wanted to keep you after this was all over, just to spite that traitorous wretch over there. But I suppose the Condesce is right—if you live, there will always be hope for another rebellion. So I'm going to kill you, here and now, and thanks to your little stunt with Captor during that speech no one is going to think you died a martyr. They'll just see it as the Condesce's plaything being trashed." His broadsword struck the ground with a loud, ear-piercing clang. He grinned. "Don't worry, we'll make sure another of your kind is never brought into this world. The caverns are going to be supervised  _very_ closely from now on."

It was more of a relief than it should have been, that there would never be another  _him_. His sickles appeared in his hands as Rohdan stepped closer.  _I have to fight. I have to stop him from killing me. The Condesce…she believes anyone that dies in combat deserved to die because of their weakness. If I kill Rohdan, there's a good chance she won't actually stop me._

"Shall we dance?" Rohdan purred. "I promise I won't stop until you're dead this time."

He shivered. Raised his sickles. Beyond the two of them, he thought he heard Eridan whimper desperately. "Fine," he growled. "If it's a fight you want, then get the fuck over here and  _fight!_  This has been a long time coming."

A hum. "I suppose it has. Very well, then—let us do what we should have done a long time ago."

Karkat didn't have time to react as Rohdan suddenly darted forward like a shadow, hefting his two-handed blade with shocking speed and dexterity. He almost thought he was about to die right out of the gate, that he was just too slow and too weak to even dodge the first blow, but he just barely managed to evade the strike by throwing himself to one side. A roll carried him away from the next slash, then the next, and then he was leaping up with his sickles poised to catch the next and angle it into the ground. Fuck, that blade was  _heavy._  His wrists ached after deflecting just one hit.

"Putting up a fight, are we?" Rohdan snarled. He took another step forward, blade swinging up as he went. "Shame. I half hoped you'd just lay down and let me kill you right in front of your matesprit. We could put on a real show for him, just like old times."

Karkat had to swallow down bile. "Shut the fuck up!"

A nasty grin spread across his face. "You'll just have to make me, buttercup."

Karkat whipped forward with a roar. This asshole had put him through  _so much shit;_ he  _deserved_  to die for everything he'd done. Karkat would kill him. He would take his sickles and drive them through Rohdan's throat, or his stomach, and he would kill him.

Rohdan laughed, raising his broadsword with both hands to shriek the blows into the ground. A kick followed, which Karkat leapt over in a flash, before he was caught in the chest with a fist and blown back. But he refused to stay down. He was up and attacking again before Rohdan had the chance to blink, drawing his sickles hard across the blueblood's thigh. The blades didn't get far, though, not before Rohdan was jamming the flat of his blade against Karkat's chest and heaving back. His skin was thick and his clothing was thicker, and the glancing blow had been only enough to leave a shallow slice.

"You fucker!" Rohdan bit out. "You fucking scratched me!"

Karkat didn't back away from the next slice. He stepped forward, curving to one side to avoid the board swing of the sword, and met his opponent head on.  _Let's do this._

Rohdan fought like something of a graceful battering ram, if that was a thing. He was large, powerful, but moved with surprising grace for his weight and weapon of choice. That was supposed to be the one advantage Karkat had over people like him—his speed. But with Rohdan stepping this way and that, swaying across the battlefield in some sort of nauseatingly complex dance, Karkat found that his sole advantage was a lot further away than he would have liked. Rohdan stepped, he answered accordingly. He swung, Karkat sidestepped. He slashed, Karkat leapt. It was truly like a dance in a way, broadcast and response, signal and reply.

Even Eridan and the Condesce faded away after a few steps of their dance. He knew Eridan was yelling for him. He could hear him in the background, crying out and begging someone, be it the Condesce or Rohdan or both, to  _stop._  Begging for Karkat's life.

Rohdan took advantage of Karkat's momentary distraction to heave a massive slash in his direction, one that caught him across the shoulder with the barest of touches when he failed to get back fast enough. Scarlet sprayed the air. It looked worse than it was.

Eridan didn't know that. "Oh god, Kar! No!"

Karkat didn't waste time on a response before he was diving back for Rohdan with his sickles outstretched. His shoulder burned, but he could tell the cut wasn't bad.

"Rohdan," the Condesce said suddenly.

He looked up. "Empress?"

"Stop playing with your food; it's terribly impolite."

Rohdan's expression went dark. "Fine."

Karkat had about one moment to ponder just how disastrous that order was for him before suddenly the world was spinning and he was landed flat on his back.

_"Kar!"_

_Move,_ he thought, and so he did, throwing himself to one side just in time to avoid the slash that would have cut his head clean off. He wasn't quite fast enough to avoid the kick to the side, but it had the added benefit of giving him space to hook a sickle around Rohdan's ankle and  _yank_.

Rohdan screamed as the blade cut through fabric and skin, slicing deep into his flesh before he grew the sense of mind to kick Karkat's weapon away. "Shit!" he screeched. "You little wretch!"

Karkat immediately moved to roll to the other side before he could get a boot to the face. Rohdan knew what he was up to, though. When Karkat tried to roll, he found himself rolling right into the troll's other leg.

_Oh, fuck—_

Rohdan crashed down on him like a weight, knees clamped down on either side of his waist, hands shooting out to hold his wrists above his head. Karkat strained to get his sickles up for a blow and failed miserably.

"Well done," the Condesce purred. "Get him over here so Eridan can watch good and close while you tear his throat out."

_Fuck,_ he thought again.  _Fuck, fuck, fuck! No, I will not let myself die like this!_  Rohdan didn't care about any of that, though. He was preoccupied with hauling Karkat up by the wrists, sickles still clutched tight between his straining fingers, and dragging him to the Condesce. He was spun around and held against Rohdan's front, arms stretched out to the sides, propped just an inch off the ground so that kicking out was impossible. From this close, he could see the terrified violet of Eridan's eyes.

"K-Karkat…" Eridan choked, making a move to reach for him before his arms were held tight to his sides by the Condesce.

The Condesce rumbled a laugh. "Now, this is quite the pretty sight." She rose, binding Eridan with her psionics and leaving him sitting in her throne as she stepped forward. He had the perfect view of his matesprit's inevitable death. "Karkat Vantas, held up before me like a prize."

His heart raced as the ruler of his species approached. From this close, she could do anything. Stab him, tear his throat out, order him to do something… He hated it.

"How should we kill you?" she whispered. "Should I hold you just like this while I tear your throat out? Pin you down and stab you just like you stabbed your kismesis?"

Eridan thrashed against his bonds.

_Think, Karkat, think. How do you get out of this? Surely there's something you can do. Your sickles…you still have your sickles…how can you use them?_

The Condesce drew closer, until her massive head of hair obscured everything else from view. She leaned in close. Breath rolled hot and fishy across Karkat's cheeks. "I think I'd like to taste your blood," she purred. "Tear your throat right out with my teeth. Does that sound good, fins?"

The seadweller whimpered, but could do no more. He reached for Karkat with arms that couldn't really move.

Karkat squeezed his sickles. They hadn't been taken, but how could he use them? If he twisted his wrists just right, he thought he might be able to hook the Condesce's right earfin with the point and tear it out. If she leaned a little closer…if he turned the grip without alerting Rohdan…

"Hold still," she went on, leaning even closer. "This'll hurt, nubs."

_Just a little closer._ He forced himself to stay very still as he turned his sickles with just his fingers, aiming the points in a place where he could easily hook them around the Condesce's fin once she leaned in more. And lean in more she did, curving close, bending her neck forward until her lips pressed cool and smooth to Karkat's throat. She rumbled a laugh. Sharp points pressed into his jugular with the barest of pressure.

_Now._

Many things happened at once. Karkat slashed, hooking the points of his sickles around what he could reach of the Condesce's fin and tearing with whatever strength he could muster. The Condesce bit down, slicing razor-sharp fangs into his throat. Rohdan choked out a warning, seeing exactly where Karkat was aiming just a moment before he sliced. The Condesce roared, feeling the bite of steel in one of the most sensitive parts of her body, and shoved Karkat back, and Rohdan by extension.

Everything burst into disarray.

Karkat kicked the instant his feet hit the ground, shoving himself away from Rohdan and just barely managing to regain his footing as the blueblood gasped in shock and the Condesce screeched with pain. His throat was bleeding, on fire, but frantically he threw himself upon Rohdan before he could recover. He had to take him out before the Condesce regained her footing, or they were all done for.

"Rohdan, kill him  _now!"_

_No way I'm letting that happen._  Karkat grabbed at his sickles and dove at Rohdan while he was still reeling, shocked by the sudden shove from the Condesce. He managed to get a sickle hooked in the flesh of the blueblood's chest in a heartbeat.

Rohdan's eyes widened in shock. "Wha…?"

Karkat didn't give him any time to react. He drove that sickle deeper, tearing, dragging, ripping a terrible gash in the front of his chest and going for it again with both sickles when he finally managed to tear free. Blue fountained over his hands, his knees, his neck, his face. Covering him.

Karkat snarled down at him. "Serves you right, you fucking  _rapist_." He slashed again, gouging the wound deeper and drawing forth another spray of dark blue blood. Then again, this one to his throat, carving through flesh and muscle and cartilage. Again, aimed at his stomach. He lost himself to it, slashing and hacking and tearing and reveling in the thought that  _this was it._ Rohdan was dying beneath him, choking and desperate, flailing with the immense strength he no longer had because the Condesce had shoved him, had unbalanced him, had offered him up unknowingly to fall to Karkat's blades.

Then it was over. Karkat leaned back, covered with blue from head to toe, scarlet dappled across his lacerated throat (not as bad as it had originally felt, thank god) and watched as Rohdan's chest heaved once, twice, and was still.

For just a heartbeat, he felt satisfaction. Rohdan was dead. He'd killed his tormentor. He'd paid for what he'd done with his life, as he should have.

That heartbeat was over soon enough.

"Kar, behind you!"

Karkat turned just in time to see the Condesce's trident streaking right toward his head. Only a quick jerk to the side saved his life, and the thing imbedded itself about a foot deep in the wall with the force of the throw.

"You fuckin' killed my Vice Admiral!" the Condesce roared.

"What," Karkat said, voice shaking, "isn't that a part of your plan to purify the Empire? If he was weak enough to die to me—"

The Condesce  _screamed,_ going for him with a flash of light and extended claws and bared fangs.

_Bang!_

A flash of light blinded him, and the next moment the Condesce was whipping around in confusion.

"Don't you  _dare_  touch him," Eridan snarled from where he stood, Crosshairs raised, psionic bonds a thing of the past. The Condesce must have released them in the immense pain of having a fin slashed, and the shock of Rohdan's death. "If you're goin' to take us both down, at least have the decency of offerin' a fair fight!"

The Condesce paused. Raised a brow. "Not really my style, fins, as you well know. But if you're so determined to think you can beat me together, then  _fine_ —do your worst. We'll see how determined you feel in a few minutes, after I've torn your matesprit's head off right in front of you."

Eridan visibly shook with fear. "Kar…are we in this together?"

He snorted. "As if you have to ask."

The two attacked as one.


	45. Everything You've Got

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team takes on the Condesce, and the battle for Alternia comes to an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the penultimate chapter...I almost can't believe it! After all this time, I hope Saturday's ending will be worth the wait.
> 
> This week's chapter is [ Everything You've Got ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4OX6lsQVGM) by Brian Parkhurst. If any of you have seen the Netflix remake of Voltron, you'll probably recognize this AMAZING song.

The Condesce was unlike anything Karkat had ever seen.

There was no getting closer to her. Every time he tried, he was thrown back with a roar, or a trident chucked his way, or a beam of psionic energy blasting straight past his head. She was so  _powerful,_ so  _deadly,_ and it terrified him. Eridan was the only thing keeping him alive. Every time the Condesce went for him he would step in with the Crosshairs, firing a shot off that seared the Condesce's impossibly thick skin without breaking through. The Condesce would roar, offsetting her attack, giving Karkat just enough time to dodge without being slaughtered.

They couldn't win. Karkat knew that now, after only a few minutes of combat with the Condesce. But they had to  _try_. There was no way that after all this, they could let themselves be flattened by the tyrian.

Karkat continued to wait for an opening that never came, sidestepping and twirling and ducking and jerking from side to side to avoid the beams that had put his kismesis on the ground. The Condesce seemed far too enraged to even think of going for said kismesis, thankfully. In fact, every blow they dealt just seemed to make her more and more incoherently furious. It was probably why they were still alive—her logic was being driven away by the sheer fury of having her Vice Admiral offed, her planet usurped, and her skin peppered with laser fire.

"We need help," Karkat groaned.  _Fuck, if only we had our earpieces! We could call for reinforcements!_

But they didn't have them, and the Condesce just kept attacking with stronger and stronger blows. They wouldn't win. If they let this keep going, they would lose.

_Please…someone…we need help!_

 

* * *

 

Vriska hissed in annoyance as she waited, staring down the Empire troops that were still waiting to attack them for a second time. Sollux had never contacted her about the bombs, and it had been at least thirty minutes. Something was wrong. She could feel it.

"Sollux?" she tried again, jostling her earpiece. "Sollux, come in!"

There was no response, not even static. Like his earpiece had just been wiped out. Groaning, Vriska moved to contact the others.

"Kanaya, have you heard from Sollux?"

There was a pause before the other end of the line picked up.  _"No, I haven't. Apparently he called Eridan and Karkat to the ballroom of the underwater base to deal with something, but I've heard no word."_

"I can't get ahold of him."

Another pause. Then,  _"I can't seem to get in contact with Karkat and Eridan either. I don't like this."_

"No," Vriska agreed in a low growl, "neither do I. Something is wrong here."

_"Yes…Karkat seemed convinced that Sollux was hurt. Apparently he didn't sound like himself."_

Something clicked in Vriska's mind. Her blood ran cold. "…Not like himself?" Sollux was acting strange. Sollux had called Karkat and Eridan to the ballroom of the underwater base. Sollux had gone to said ballroom on his own to investigate a bomb signal that had popped up mysteriously. One that hadn't been there before.

"Kanaya," Vriska said, forcing her voice to stay calm, "I need you to withdraw from the battle and wait for me and the others outside the entrance to that base."

_"What? Why?"_

"Because the Condesce is in that ballroom, alone with the three of them, and they won't be alive for long if we don't get there!"

A gasp, sharp and choking.  _"How do you know?"_

"Think about it! We suspected from the beginning that the bombs were a last resort, to be set off if the Empire lost. So we chased down every signal, moved every bomb, and we were  _certain_ that all of them had been recovered. Except wait, here's a mysterious one that's appeared randomly in the ballroom out of nowhere! It had to have been moved there, almost as if in a lure to draw Sollux in, then Karkat and Eridan."

_"What…?"_

"The bombs are a last resort. What better a way to use them than to have them blow up upon the death of the Condesce?"

_"You think…you think that the Condesce hooked her own heartbeat up to the bombs, so that they would explode if she died?"_

"That's exactly what I think. She doesn't have a bomb on her just in case they all go off without her say so, but she has the master signal that will set them off if she dies. That's why she reads like a bomb, because she has the same signal attached to her. That's why the signal suddenly appeared in the ballroom, because she  _moved_  there. Sollux went to investigate, the Condesce caught him and ordered him to lure in Karkat and Eridan. The Condesce will wipe them out, then tell the whole world that the rebel leaders have been slaughtered. The rebellion will fall apart when they hear the news."

_"Then we have to stop this from happening!"_

"Yeah, so call Equius's city and make sure that him and the others of our team are with you outside the base as soon as possible! They can take that secret exit out of the base to avoid being spotted. I'll gather Feferi and the others here. Do  _not_ engage the Condesce until all of us are present!"

_"But Karkat and the others—!"_

"We  _will_ make it in time."

Kanaya was silent for a moment after that. But then she murmured her affirmation, seeming to understand the gravity of the situation, and her earpiece fuzzed over with static.

Vriska was immediately moving to find Feferi, Aradia, and Terezi. This was  _it._ If they could get there and kill the Condesce in time, all the bombs would detonate. The third city would have the rest of the Empire troops wiped out. The second city would be freed from the bunker they were trapped in. The first city would finally have the backup it needed to tip the scales of war. This was the only thing left. Kill the Condesce, and the Empire would be killed or step down.

They could win the war like this. They could win Alternia for themselves.

Quickly, Vriska called for the others. It was time to end this.

 

* * *

 

"Are you sure about this?" Feferi asked softly, waiting for the last of their group to arrive before they went to confront the Condesce directly. Inside, she knew that three of them were already fighting.

Beside her, Vriska nodded tersely. "We don't have another choice. If we send in more than just the twelve of us, it's likely trolls will just be wiped out in droves by the Condesce's lasers. This is the perfect amount, all of us specially trained to handle this moment. We'll win. We have to."

There was a rustle from behind them, then a new voice. "I'm here."

Aradia fluttered to greet her. "Kanaya, we're glad you're safe."

She bowed her head. "The same to the four of you. Though I question how much longer that safety will remain."

More rustling. Then, "Hey, motherfuckers! I had a feeling you'd be up and meeting here."

"Gamzee," Kanaya greeted, echoed momentarily by the others. "I'm happy to—"

"Oh my god,  _Gamzee!"_

Vriska looked up just in time to see Tavros emerge from the treeline, charging for Gamzee with a shocked look on his face. Nepeta and Equius followed close behind with matching looks of surprise, having escaped through the secret tunnels that led into the city.

"Sup, brother?" Gamzee purred.

Tavros crashed into him. "I thought you were  _dead_ , you idiot! We all thought you were gone!"

"Why didn't you come back into the base?" Nepeta demanded. "There was a secret tunnel you could have used!"

"Oh shit, really? I just couldn't get my memory on about it, I guess."

Tavros slapped him lightly across the face. "I hate you right now. You know that?"

Gamzee just rumbled out a purr. "Sorry, brother. I just up and came here because I thought it was the most likely place you'd all end up."

"Truly ingenious," Vriska snorted. "Look, the longer we wait here the more likely it is that Karkat, Eridan, and Sollux will be dead when we get in there. Let's go before that happens."

There was a moment of tension, then, as they all exchanged glances. Suddenly the battles taking place in the three cities felt very far away.

Vriska was the one to break the silence. "Come on," she said gruffly, "we need to start moving. And when we get in there…fight with everything you've got."

 

* * *

 

Blood dripped from Karkat's lips, from where the Condesce had landed a hit so hard that he'd bitten down on his tongue involuntarily. Eridan was good at deflecting blows but not  _that_ good, and so Karkat slumped momentarily as dizziness washed over him from the cumulative effect of the glancing blows and slashes landed on him throughout the time they'd been fighting. His heart was beating too fast. His lungs burned. They needed  _help._

Across from him, on the other side of the Condesce, Eridan wasn't looking much better. He was distracting her for the moment as Karkat tried not to pass out, violet dribbling down from his hairline to soak the left side of his face, more of the stuff crusting into his clothing from where he'd been cut in various other places. He looked exhausted, and rightfully so.

Meanwhile, the Condesce looked completely untouched. Like she hadn't even been fighting a battle at all. She was furious, yes, almost incoherently so. But physically, she was doing better than ever.

"Karkat," Eridan choked, unbidden, and Karkat knew immediately what he was thinking. He was wishing that there was more time than this to say goodbye, as they so obviously reached the end of their rope. It was a miracle they'd survived this long, and now…

Eridan cried out as the Condesce caught him with a glancing blow to the side, throwing him back and drawing yet another stream of blood from yet another searing wound. He hit the ground and didn't get back up.

The Condesce turned her gaze back on Karkat while was still too shaken to stand upright. He couldn't catch his breath, he was down, he was going to die, it was—

A blur of olive green streaked past him with a yowl, bouncing off the Condesce and shoving her just a foot to one side. The blast that was meant for his chest bounced off his leg, searing the skin just slightly before glancing harmlessly to the ground.

Karkat's eyes widened as his vision cleared.  _Nepeta?_

The Condesce roared, swiped, and one Nepeta Leijon crashed into the wall with a sickening crack.

_"Nepeta!"_

A mass of dark blue stormed into the room right on her heels. Equius Zahhak, running to his moirail and scooping her up just as the Condesce attempted to vaporize her. There was a bandage on his back, Karkat noted, but it looked like healers had mostly taken care of the wound it concealed.

The Condesce turned toward Equius with glowing eyes.

"Oh no you don't!"

A blast of energy smacked into the Condesce from the side, drawing her attention. Aradia darted up into the air with determination writ large across her features. Behind her, Feferi brandished her trident with a snarl.

_They don't know about Sollux,_ Karkat realized, but it was a thought soon chased out of his mind as he saw the others appearing one by one. Kanaya with her chainsaw. Gamzee with his clubs. Tavros with his lance. Terezi with her cane. Vriska with her cutlass. All twelve of them there, together, as if nothing had changed.

Arms closed around him suddenly. Gamzee, grabbing him and pulling him behind a protective wall of trolls. "It's okay," he was whispering, low and rumbling. "You're okay, Karbro, it's okay. We're here."

At his other side, Kanaya hefted Eridan over her shoulder and retreated to Gamzee's right. "Eridan! Eridan, are you okay?"

The seadweller groaned and blinked up. "K-Kan…?"

Her expression went soft and pitying. "Yes, Eridan, it's me. You're okay."

Karkat didn't realize another rescue mission was occurring until Sollux was being laid down at his left, Aradia cradling him to the last moment. "Sollux," she whispered, but there was no response. "Oh god…"

"I-is he…?"

"Alive, yes. But his  _eyes_ …"

Vriska appeared out of nowhere to sneer down at them. "Shove him to the side and focus on the battle at hand! We can't save him if we don't win!"

Karkat saw the conflict flash across Aradia's face. But still she nodded, stowing Sollux away by the door where he would be safe from any stray attacks. Then she was turning, asking, "Karkat, are you good to fight?"

"I'll be fine," Karkat rasped, even as his head continued to spin. "Help me up."

"Brother, are you—?"

"I'm  _fine."_  He glanced to the battle at hand, where Nepeta was back on her feet and distracting the Condesce. "Gamzee,  _help me up."_

The indigoblood watched him with concern, but still stood and propped him up as he went. Karkat groaned as he straightened.  _I'm fine. I'll be fine._

"Brother," Gamzee repeated, "you're motherfucking  _covered_  in blue. Who did you…?"

He shuddered, thinking of Rohdan's body splayed on the other side of the room, flayed open from where Karkat and torn him apart. "Not important. Eridan, are you good to go?"

The seadweller gave a dazed nod. "I'm good," he murmured. "Kan, get me up too."

Kanaya coaxed him gently to his feet. "Stay back," she advised, tone soft. "You're weak right now."

"So is Kar, and he's goin' in with the rest of you." Eridan straightened with visible effort and hefted the Crosshairs over his shoulder. "I'll provide you with cover. Get in there and do some damage."

"We will."

_This is for all of Alternia._ Nobody said it, but they were all thinking it. The outcome of this battle, be it for better or worse, would determine  _everything._

Vriska raised her chin. "Let's do this."

Everyone moved together.

Nepeta drew back, streaks of olive down one cheek as Equius took her place to throw a devastating punch at the Condesce while she was still whipping around in search of the oliveblood. It actually made her stagger, which was the perfect opportunity for Tavros to dart in and jab the point of his lance right at her stomach. It didn't break the skin, the blow wasn't hard enough for that, but it put her even more off balance for when Kanaya whipped in from the other side and drew her chainsaw hard down her arm. Vriska and Terezi swept in together, one on each side, and stabbed their respective weapons into the Condesce's sides. Feferi came in from the back and swiped with the razor-sharp tines of her trident. Gamzee leapt high and cracked his clubs down on the Condesce's clavicle. Eridan fired once, twice, three times at the Empress' head.

Karkat just stared in shock, watching his friends weave around their target as if they'd just won their session yesterday rather than four sweeps ago. They were perfect. There were enough of them to distract the Condesce, keep her turning this way and that without ever being able to settle on a single target. Every time she started to fire, another one of the twelve appeared out of nowhere and smashed into her. And fuck, she was  _bleeding._ Bleeding from her sides and her back and her arm, nonlethal though it may have been, and it was  _something_. More than Eridan and Karkat had managed alone. More than Sollux had managed.

"Watch her eyes!"

Vriska's warning was well received, as everyone dove out of the way of the lash of psionic energy that screeched from the Condesce's eyes. Nepeta leapt on her while her back was turned, dug her claws into her back and held on tight, clawing and tearing into her flesh.

"Hold, Nepeta!"

Equius's fists crushed into the Condesce's ankles with brutalizing force, taking advantage of the thrashing, confused state of the Empress to deal a painful blow. Even with his incredible strength, though, the blow did little more than stagger her. It would bruise, maybe. Nothing more.

Vriska and Terezi came in as one combined force, as they always had. Vriska was quick, deadly, efficient, sliding in under the Condesce's guard while she tired to throw Equius away from her. There was the flash of silver, a roar, and then the Empress was backing up in shock and pain as the point of a cutlass stabbed between her ribs. She shied away to one side only to find Terezi already there, waiting to repeat the action and send her reeling back toward Vriska.

"Gamzee—!"

Gamzee was there before Vriska could fully get the command out, though, snapping towards his target with the startling speed and strength that only came from dangerous sobriety. His eyes were sharp as daggers as he whirled once, twice, clubs striking out with shocking fluidity and bone-cracking force. He bashed his clubs at the ground near the Condesce's feet, at her ankles, at her knees, driving her back as Aradia flew up into the air and shoved the Empress' upper half forward, bending her awkwardly. Beams of plasma seared out of nowhere and hit her kneecaps, and then she was staggering.

Feferi appeared out of nowhere, trident drawn, and stabbed the prongs up into the flesh just beneath the back of the Condesce's neck. That simple overbalance was all it took to send her crashing to the ground for just a moment—a moment that was more than enough for Nepeta to leap back in, for Equius to land another punch on the backs of her knees, for Gamzee and Terezi and Vriska to fall upon her with ruthless ferocity.

_Like a pack of wolves,_ Karkat thought with awe, watching the Condesce flail and struggle beneath the never-ending attacks of her inferiors. She was overwhelmed, flailing, struggling to pick one target and stick with it. She never had enough time to get off a good attack before she was being battered from a different angle.

Hope flooded his chest. He leapt into the fray.

Immediately, it was chaos. The Condesce was still on the ground, was still struggling to regain her footing, but she was managing to lash out and kick and scratch and fire beams of psionic energy all the while. It was fucking dangerous, even with her on the ground, even with so many of them, and Karkat found that he had to constantly stay on his toes.

"Go for her throat!" Vriska called above the din. "It's the easiest way to take her down for  _good!"_

The Condesce heard her as well, though, and immediately the guard around her upper body was raised tenfold. Nepeta made to get closer and was flung back with a shriek, her body crashing into Equius and flattening him to the ground.

"Oh no, is your back—?"

Equius answered with a dangerous snarl, pushing Nepeta off and lunging for the Condesce. He, too, was deflected with the swipe of claws across his chest. Not deep, but painful.

"Don't let her get up!"

That was easier said than done, though, once the Condesce started to get her feet beneath her. She pushed up hard, snarling furiously when blows rained down upon her in an attempt to put her back down. Even when her whole body glowed red, evidence of Aradia's telekinesis, she strained up relentlessly.

"Kill her now, before she starts to figure out how to counter us!"

Karkat ducked low under her guard, sickles raised, and went in for the kill. She saw him immediately. She just had this  _look_  on her face, like…like she was irritated, but irritated like a troll would be trying to swat an annoying fly. When Karkat got close, she kicked him away with a boot. No effort. She wasn't trying.

_Fuck._

"I've had enough of this," the Condesce growled. She heaved; her entire body rippled like a sinuous wave as she snapped up off the ground and got her feet beneath her firmly. They tried to stop her, of course, the whole way up—Equius went for her knees again, Feferi tried to stick her with her trident, Vriska and Terezi went in with Gamzee hot on their heels, Kanaya slashed with her chainsaw—but every attack was swept away with a vicious snarl and a dangerous swipe of claws. Sloppy, uncaring. Karkat's chest went tight.

The Condesce stood before them in her full glory. Tall, gorgeous,  _deadly_. Bleeding, but with an undefeated sort of grace. She bared her teeth in undisguised fury. "That's all you have, is it? I'm disappointed."

The twelve of them were silent. Something, minute as it was, had changed.

The Condesce glared. "I suppose you've had your fun, haven't you? I admit, I was almost hoping you'd be more of a challenge. But since you aren't…"

There was a pause. Then a scream, high-pitched and sudden, as a bolt of psionic energy seared through Nepeta's shoulder.

"Nepeta—!" Equius cut off in a choking gasp as the Condesce moved, quick as a shadow, and slammed an elbow down into his chest. He fell hard and stayed down.

The Condesce bared her teeth. Snarled "Too easy."

Vriska snapped out of it first. "Don't just stand there,  _attack_  her!"

They snapped into action. The Condesce, though, just stood there and waited for them to come to her. It was something completely different than before. Where Vriska had succeeded in stabbing into the Empress' side before, she was flung back effortlessly now. Psionics seared around Terezi's wrists, cracking her head into the wall and sending her sprawling. When Feferi leapt forward in an attempt to block a blow heading for Kanaya, the Condesce clawed mercilessly across her back and kicked her to the ground, where she slammed a boot into her side and shoved hard. Kanaya, attempting to pull the seadweller out of harm's way, was grabbed by the horns and crushed against the nearest wall.

"Try again!" Vriska called. But the next moment the Condesce had a hand around her throat, was squeezing and slamming her to the ground while Terezi screeched in alarm and clawed at her bound wrists.

"You're all fools," the Condesce rumbled. "Even together, you're no more powerful than your ancestors. I'll kill you here and now."

Karkat's stomach sank. Even with all of them here, fighting together, she was just… _destroying_ them. Batting them aside and stepping all over them, and he had a feeling she still wasn't giving it her all. Her anger had given way to cold frustration, to a fearful sort of logic, and she used it now to regain the upper hand. If she'd ever lost it at all, that was.

The Condesce's eyes glittered. Karkat knew immediately where she was aiming, and he dove to shove Feferi to the ground just before the psionic blast could obliterate her. "Watch out!"

The others scattered without another word. No longer was this a game of attack, this was a game of  _defense._  The Condesce lashed out with her powers again and again, over and over, searing and biting at everyone she could reach, forcing them to scramble away or be vaporized then and there.  _This_ was the Condesce that Karkat knew. The troll that took and took and took, that forced others to bend to her will without even the slightest question of who was in charge.

"Stay down!" Karkat hissed, seeing Feferi trying to get back to her feet. "She's not attacking you right now, so wait for an opening before you just throw yourself into danger!"

The Condesce disappeared in a flash, reappearing behind Feferi before anyone had the chance to warn her. Karkat whipped around just in time to see the Condesce stab her claws straight into her chest and lift her into the air.

"I'll make it slow," the Condesce purred. "I  _promise_."

There was a flicker of movement, then a spray of fuchsia. Feferi screamed.

"I've got you!" Aradia gasped. "Just—hey!" Claws raked down her chest and drove her back. Then, as Tavros tried to attack, a wreath of psionic energy caught him and crushed him to the nearest wall, squeezing until the crack of bones became audible.

Gamzee sprang forward with a roar.

"Gamzee, don't—!"

Indigo blood sprayed the air. A motionless gray lump hit the ground.

"Together! If we attack as one, we can overwhelm her!"

The Condesce just smirked, and then she was moving. Blood sprayed everywhere. Troll after troll was flung aside, sliced open, bashed to the ground, until the ground was painted with every color of the rainbow. Tavros's skull cracked on the blood-slicked floor. Equius and Nepeta tumbled to the ground with head wounds of equal severity, unable to rise as they struggled to shake the dizziness. Vriska and Terezi slumped in puddles of their own blood. Gamzee choked for breath, curled in a ball on the ground. Kanaya coughed up mouthfuls of jade from her position crouched on the floor. Aradia leaned hard on a blood-slick wall. Karkat stretched flat, stunned from the glancing blow to the chest he'd been dealt in all the chaos. Eridan slumped against the back wall, gagging on violet.

"R-regroup…" Vriska choked through a mouthful of blood.

The Condesce rumbled a laugh. "I don't think they can move, dear Captain."

They couldn't. From where he was splayed out, he saw each and every one of them trying to stand up and failing miserably. Of all of them Vriska looked the least harmed, and she went down hard when her hands slipped in a puddle of her own blood.

"Look at all of you," the Condesce whispered. She stopped to kick Feferi down when she tried to get back up. "So desperate to win and save your rebel friends, but unable to put up a fight." Slowly she circled them, beating those down who attempted to get up. Karkat flattened himself wisely to the ground as she passed. He…didn't think he could take another blow to the head.

They'd lost. It was as simple as that.

"It's a shame, really," the Empress continued. "You couldn't even last a minute against me now, while I'm not even at my full strength. You're an embarrassment to the rebels; I should have taken a page out of your book and broadcasted this pathetic display to every rebel on Alternia. I'm sure they'd love to see how far you've fallen."

Karkat glanced to his friends, desperate to see someone still well enough to fight. But everyone was still soundly on the ground. Even Vriska was flattened in the face of the Condesce's sheer brilliance.

"Who wants to die first, then?" the Condesce purred. She stepped around the felled trolls one at a time, gaze burning straight through them. Karkat almost dared to attack her, but the instant he moved he felt a jolt of agony tear through his head where he'd been struck. It would fade soon, but for now he was down.

Finally, the Condesce drew to a halt right in the center of the room. "I know," she said softly, dangerously. "How about we start with the troll that started it all? My dear Vice Admiral."

Karkat tried to choke out a protest, but the sound died in his throat. Trying to move just sent him sprawling back to the ground with an agonized groan. He couldn't even roll over, and the Condesce was raising a hand in his matesprit's direction. Psionics were building at her fingertips.

Many things happened at once. The Condesce snapped her fingers, power crackling out towards Eridan in a lethal beam aimed straight for his heart. Eridan jolted, trying to push himself out of the way and failing as he slipped on the violet pool beneath him.

Karkat closed his eyes. He refused to see his matesprit die.

So when he heard Eridan scream in horror rather than pain, his eyes snapped open in a heartbeat, blood running cold.  _Eridan…?_

"Kan!" Eridan cried. "Oh god, Kan, why did you…?"

Karkat stared, horrified. And Kanaya…

Kanaya just swayed on her feet, a hole blasted right through her center from where she'd leapt in front of Eridan. Jade dripped from her lips.

"Kan!" Eridan cried again, then again. He forced himself to his knees on shaking limbs as the jadeblood fell flat and didn't get up. "Oh god, oh god, oh god…"

Karkat felt numbness strike to his very core. This…was  _real._  Kanaya was dead. Everyone else was flattened, bleeding out slowly or dazed beyond the ability to fight. And the Condesce was just there, just staring with a cruel sort of satisfaction at the trolls she'd reduced to ruin.

"What a pity," she murmured. "Giving your life for someone who's going to die anyway." She nudged Kanaya with a boot. " _Useless_. But the problem remains—how to kill you?"

Eridan closed his arms like steel bands around Kanaya's body. Every muscle was locked tense, as if he wanted to attack but knew that he wasn't strong enough to do anything but die.

The Condesce tossed her head. "How would you prefer to die, Vice Admiral?"

Eridan bristled like an affronted cat. "Go to hell!"

"All in good time, fins." She stepped away from Eridan and turned, looking back at the rebels that were still sprawled all over the ground. Her eyes raked over them one by one, until…

Karkat gulped as her gaze steadied right on him. He didn't like that look.

"Perfect," she whispered.

"Wha—no, get away from Kar!  _Get away from him!"_

The Condesce didn't stop, though, and Eridan could do nothing but strain weakly after her as she loomed over Karkat.

"You know the drill, nubs," she smirked. "Give me that pretty face of yours."

He didn't move.

Her eyes narrowed. "Karkat." Coming closer, she dropped her knees down on either side of the mutant's waist. Fingers wrapped around his horns and squeezed.

_Oh god._ Too late, he tried to close his eyes.

"Keep your eyes open."

His eyes snapped open.

"Now…" The Condesce leaned in close, lips brushing his skin. It was horrifying, what with his neck still dripping scarlet from her earlier bite. "Here's what's going to happen, Karkat. You're going to get up, go over there, and kill Eridan Ampora. And once you're done, you're going to come kneel right here next to me. Do you understand?"

He blinked. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a plan was forming.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes, Empress. I will kill Eridan Ampora."

 

* * *

 

Eridan watched, stricken with a sick kind of horror, as his matesprit's eyes glossed over with the Condesce's will. Even at his strongest he hadn't been able to shake her influence, and now he was dazed and dripping blood. He didn't stand a chance.

Still, he had to try.

"Kar," Eridan rasped as the mutant stepped closer, weapons drawn. "Kar, please…you don't have to do this!"

Karkat's expression didn't change. He just prowled forward like a predator stalking its prey, eyeing Eridan with detached determination. His sickles twirled in elegant arcs.

Eridan scrambled to push himself up before Karkat got to him. He slid Kanaya's unmoving body to the ground, swallowing down the dull, aching pain in his chest at the sight of her. Even if he was fucked, even if they were  _all_ going to die, he was still going to treat her body with respect.

_Oh, fuck._ His whole body screamed in protest as he forced his limbs to support his battered frame. He'd avoided getting too close to the Condesce for the most part, but he'd still been dealt a few nasty blows. He was better off than most of his friends, though, who were still reeling from the force of their wounds. He thought Nepeta was unconscious, and Tavros was curled up with an alarming amount of blood around his head. Worse off was Feferi, bleeding heavily from the deep slashes in her chest, and Terezi, retching up mouthfuls of teal. No one had escaped injury. No one had escaped  _severe_ injury.

Eridan snatched his trident out of his sylladex, wincing at the pull on his muscles. There was no way he was using the Crosshairs on Karkat; he'd kill him with a single shot.

"What a gentleman," the Condesce laughed. "You'll have to kill him eventually, fins, or let him kill you. What's the use in putting it off?"

Eridan met Karkat head on, sweeping the first sloppy attack into the ground and backing away to the best of his ability. Maybe, if he could just keep Karkat busy for long enough without hurting him…

The Condesce knew exactly what he was thinking. She waved a hand, and the doors of the room slammed closed and locked tight with red and blue energy. Another wave, and all of his friends but Kanaya (who was already dead, and so apparently lacking the need for restraints) were suddenly bound and pressed hard into the ground. It only took one moment of Vriska attempting to break free before Eridan realized that they wouldn't be going anywhere. They were held down, the doors were locked, and they were alone. No help would be coming.

Eridan turned his focus back on Karkat with a sinking stomach. He wouldn't kill him. He  _couldn't_ kill him. But…then what? Would he just let Karkat kill  _him?_

_I could go for the Condesce,_ he thought.  _Kill her, save Kar in the process._ But when he looked over, he saw a sheer barrier of red and blue separating her from them. Once again, she'd been one step ahead of him.

_She's going to make us fight,_ Eridan thought, even as he was ducking away from another sloppy swing.  _She'll kill all of us, but first she wants to make the two of us suffer._ The weight in his stomach grew a fraction heavier.

_I guess…I just have to keep deflecting for as long as I can. I won't kill Kar, but…I'm not sure what other option that leaves me, other than gettin' killed myself._

He supposed that was the point.

Eridan swept Karkat's next swing out of the way with his trident, shoving him back without hurting him. Blood was still dripping from his neck and from a nasty head wound, and he didn't want to compound the damage. Karkat, on the other hand, seemed entirely unconcerned with his wellbeing. He lurched forward mercilessly, swiping and swinging and tearing with the mechanical grace of a troll no longer in control of his own faculties.

"Come on, Kar," Eridan whispered, even though he knew that mere words weren't going to tear his matesprit out of his stupor. The last time it had taken Vriska and Feferi hours of work before he'd even  _started_  to shake off the Condesce's orders, and they didn't have that kind of time. "It's me, remember? You don't want to hurt your matesprit…right?"

Karkat didn't show any signs of having heard him. Sickles raised, he went in for an attack that ended in a lurching stagger and a choking cry of pain.

_He's tearing at his own wounds by movin' like that,_ Eridan realized. _The longer he's on his feet, the longer he spends bleedin' out. Eventually, I won't_ have _to kill him. He'll die on his own._

Having recovered, Karkat tried again, only to have Eridan catch the blow on his trident and swing it away. The mutant sneered in frustration.

"Come on," the Condesce taunted, "I know you can do better than that."

Karkat bristled like an affronted cat and whipped forward. Eridan struggled to get his trident up in time to block first one attack with the prongs, then the other with the hilt when one of Karkat's sickles tried to sink into the flesh of his leg. He was on the defensive, would be on the defensive probably for the entire battle. He wasn't sure what to do.

It became a perfectly choreographed dance, one that they'd performed before in the safety of the training room. Karkat swung, Eridan parried. Eridan tried to push him back, to give himself some breathing room, and Karkat responded by neatly stepping around his trident and lashing out with the rounds of both sickles. It was a perfect back-and-forth. This time, though, Eridan knew that he could win. If he pulled out his gun and set it to full power, he could vaporize Karkat in a heartbeat, or at the very least tear a hole through his torso. The thought…it made him sick.

Eridan yelped suddenly as Karkat finally managed to get under his defenses and hook the point of a sickle in one of his sides. Violet spurted from the wound, and for a moment Eridan thought one of his gills had just been torn out—but as he choked on a surprised noise, shoving Karkat away to check the wound for himself, he realized that it wasn't actually as severe as it could have been.

He frowned. Karkat had had the perfect opportunity and angle to rip one of his gills out. Why was the cut so shallow? Had he fumbled his grip on his sickle? Was blood loss preventing him from attacking at full strength? Had—

Had he  _held back?_

Surely he'd imagined it. Surely Karkat hadn't actually managed to hold himself back from doing as much damage as possible, not to the person the Condesce had  _ordered_   _him to kill._

"Kar?" he tried again. "Kar, come on. Come back to me, I know you can!" And oh god, that was exactly like something out of one of those cheesy movies Karkat loved so much, but if it  _worked_ …

Karkat didn't so much as flinch as he went for him again, and Eridan was so stunned that the mutant managed to slice a thin furrow into his calf before he was blown back.

The Condesce growled. "What did I order you to do, Vantas?  _Kill him!"_

In a snap, Karkat's demeanor changed. His expression went dark and dangerous, movements turning almost alarmingly fluid, and he threw himself at Eridan as if his own life meant nothing.

_Oh, shit—!_  Eridan staggered back, not having expected the sudden close-quarters strike, and suddenly there was a tug on his ankle as his foot  _just so happened_ to become  _impossibly tangled_ with his cape, and his arms flew out to either side in an attempt to catch himself in midair. Too late he realized that he'd bared his chest.

Time slowed down, and two options stood before him.

He saw it clearly. If he did nothing, allowed himself to fall back with Karkat atop him, it would all be over. At the angle Karkat was attacking at, his sickles would slice straight through his chest and burst his heart like an overripe tomato. Karkat would return to the Condesce, kneel at her feet, and Eridan would be dead. The rest of his friends would be dealt with accordingly. But…if he wanted to live…

If he wanted to live, he could do it. If he swept his arm just right, angled his trident with a last minute flick of the wrist, he could get the prongs up in time to skewer Karkat through the chest. He would be caught in midair, unable to deal Eridan the killing blow, and then, too, it would be over.

He had a choice, then. In this moment, he was choosing whether he would live or die. Whether  _Karkat_ would live or die. Though…either way he went, he had a feeling that none of them would be escaping with their lives. The Condesce would kill them all. Regardless of what Eridan did, he knew that it was over.

Bitterly, he snorted. It wasn't much of a choice after all. He'd…made the decision long ago.

Eridan threw his arms out, bared his chest, and let Karkat take him to the ground.

He thought someone was screaming. Multiple someone's, actually, crying out in fear and alarm and begging for either Karkat to stop or for Eridan to move or for  _something_ to happen that would stop what was about to happen.

"I pity you, Kar," Eridan whispered, even as he watched Karkat's sickles whip up in preparation to deliver the killing blow. " _So_  much."

Karkat squeezed his knees around his torso and hefted his sickles above his head.

Eridan blinked.  _Wait…he's not aimin' for my head, or my chest. He's…_

His eyes widened. Karkat was aiming for the ground  _next_ to his head. When those blades fell, they'd miss him entirely.

"Kar…?"

Karkat's eyes flickered with something, some kind of frenzied desperation. He started to drive the sickles down.

Everything shifted.

A furious screech cut through the silence, and the next thing Eridan knew, the sound of a chainsaw revving slammed into him. His heart leapt.  _Kan…?_

The bloodied figure of Kanaya Maryam appeared out of nowhere, glowing like a light bulb and wielding her signature weapon. The hole through her middle was completely gone, and as she darted forward with a snarl, Eridan saw that her fangs were sharper and elongated.

_Rainbow drinker,_ he had time to think, before suddenly he realized just who she was going for with that chainsaw.

"Kan, no, he's not tryin' to kill—!"

Kanaya didn't respond beyond a furious cry, raising her chainsaw to Karkat as he reeled back in shock. Eridan could only watch in horror as scarlet sprayed the air, Kanaya's weapon tearing down Karkat's chest and shoving him back.

"You will  _not_  kill him!" Kanaya spat.

Eridan lurched up. "No, don't!"

It was too late. Kanaya gripped Karkat by the throat with one hand, chainsaw angled towards the ground with the other. Her unnatural rainbow drinker strength manifested itself in the way she tossed him to the side with alarming velocity, driven from her right mind by her transformation. Karkat struck the red and blue barrier between them and the Condesce, slid to the ground, and was still. Scarlet pooled around him.

Something cold and terrible pierced straight to Eridan's heart. Karkat hadn't been trying to kill him. Those sickles hadn't been aimed towards his head, or his heart, but Kanaya hadn't been able to tell from her position.

"Eridan," she said sharply, "are you—?"

"Useless!" the Condesce hissed furiously, letting down the psionic barrier as she stormed toward the two of them. "Everyone in my command is  _useless!_  When this is through, I'll make sure that no one is left alive with your sort of stubborn cowardice!"

Eridan yelped as a lash of psionic energy cracked down right in front of his feet, driving both him and Kanaya backward.

"You want to fight so badly?  _Fine!"_

Eridan had half a second to blink before Kanaya was being skewered through the chest and thrown back for a second time.  _She's a rainbow drinker,_ he reminded himself.  _Apparently. She'll be fine; that won't be enough to kill her._ It was hard to convince himself of that, though, as the jadeblood's skull cracked against the wall and she fell limp.

The Condesce's growl echoed through the room as she took one step forward, then another. She nudged Karkat's unmoving form as she went, then moved just a few feet past him to glower down at Eridan. Her eyes began to glow with a mixture of red and blue.

There wasn't any use in moving. He was stunned so badly, he didn't think he could manage it if he tried.

The Empress's lips pull back over her teeth. A hand raised, and the next moment Eridan's world turned white with agony as a bolt of psionic energy tore down all the gills on his right side.

He didn't realize he was screaming until suddenly he wasn't, clutching at his ruined side and writhing in agony at the feel over every single gill being torn through at once. They were  _so_  fucking sensitive on their own, to feel the fiery bite of psionics carving through them was more painful than he ever could have imagined. It took a moment for his vision to spot back in, and even then everything was a little blurry.

Another blow took a chunk out of his right leg, and the room fuzzed over with white. Another gouged into his arm, then his chest, his stomach, and he was screaming again without really knowing he was doing it.

When he pried his eyes open next the Condesce was still standing in that same place, eyes flashing, teeth gleaming, a backlit shadow with no face. Her fists were clenched firmly at her sides. "It's a shame," she rumbled. "I always hoped you'd change your mind about betrayin' me."

Another slash. Eridan cried out.

"I suppose it just wasn't meant to be. You would have made such a good Vice Admiral if you hadn't tried to stab me in the back."

A flicker of movement caught Eridan's eye. Karkat was shifting.

The Condesce took just one step closer. "It's fitting that you'll be the first to die."

Behind her, Karkat shoved himself up onto his arms and knees. Blood gushed from his chest in a sickening wave.

"You should be thankful," came the dangerous whisper. "I'm going to kill you quickly. The rest of them will go  _much_ slower, including your beloved. I'll be sure to take my time with him, especially."

Karkat managed to get up on his knees. He looked like he was dying.

_This is the last thing I need,_ Eridan thought miserably.  _My matesprit, bleedin' to death and still trying to kill me thanks to the Condesce's orders._

The Condesce's eyes were starting to glow again in preparation to fire off a psionic laser. She was aimed right at his head; when she fired there would be no chance of coming back. He couldn't even move to dodge, not with his body lacerated and beaten and bruised. It was the most he could do to keep himself kneeling.

Psionic energy kissed the air, and Eridan closed his eyes. He refused to watch himself die.

He felt the air heat around him. Heard the crackle of psionics.  _Tasted_ his death in the air.

But it never came.

What did come, though, was a sudden roar that shook the room around him. And when Eridan finally opened his eyes, he saw why.

Karkat Vantas was standing behind the Condesce, shaking from blood loss and pain and looking like he was about a half a second from death. The glaze in his eyes had gone, replaced with exhausted determination.

But that wasn't what truly shocked him.

What truly shocked him was the set of sickles in his hands, buried firmly in the Condesce's neck with no sign of coming out.

The world grew still as everyone stared, uncomprehending. The Condesce herself looked stunned, fingertips rising to touch the steel protruding from her neck.

A moment later, all hell broke loose.

The Condesce whipped around with a scream, jerking the sickles from Karkat's weak fingers and slashing down at him with the trident that had just reappeared in her hands. The mutant was slammed back to the ground, and though Eridan couldn't tell exactly what had happened, he knew it was  _bad._ The sudden scream and resulting fountain of blood told him that much. But that wasn't the most important thing. The most important thing was how the Condesce staggered back immediately after, wrenching the sickles out of her neck and choking as she was immediately drenched in fuchsia. The most important thing was how in her shock, the psionic bonds around the twelve of them flickered and vanished.

The most important thing was how in that precious moment, with the Condesce reeling and the rest of them wrenching their way back to their feet, the tide turned once and for all.

Vriska shot to her feet without pause, chucking one of her two blades like a boomerang at the ruler of their entire species. The Condesce screamed as the steel cut straight into her chest, flailing and firing off psionic lasers at random.

_"Now!"_ Vriska screeched. "Take her down!"

There was no hesitation. Not all of them could move. Nepeta was unconscious, Sollux was still passed out, and Karkat was quite possibly down for good. But every single one of them that could attack,  _did._

Kanaya appeared out of nowhere, healed once again, and slammed the churning blades of her chainsaw into the Condesce's stomach, cutting through her in a vague imitation of the wound she'd been dealt minutes prior. As the teeth of her weapon chewed through the Condesce's flesh, Aradia slammed a wall of telekinetic energy into her from behind, shoving her further down on the blades. Gamzee appeared, cracking his clubs together on either sides of the Condesce's horns and causing an agonized shriek. On her other side Tavros reached up and shoved his lance hard into the Empress' neck, right where Karkat had already cut deep. Equius slammed his fists as hard as he could into her already bleeding sides. Terezi stabbed clean through her chest with the point of her cane. Feferi rammed the points of her trident hard into the wound Kanaya was already hacking into with her chainsaw.

But it wasn't really over until Vriska appeared, drawing her cutlass back and drawing it hard across the Condesce's eyes with all her strength.

All at once, the lasers stopped firing. And Eridan, seeing his window, snapped up the Crosshairs and fired it at full power at the wound Karkat very well may have just given his life to deal.

Plasma seared through the Condesce's neck, and a moment later her head hit the ground, completely separated from her body. There was still a surprised look on her face.

The rest of his friends sprang away from the fuchsia-splattered form as it swayed once, twice, and careened toward the ground, where it thudded wetly and lay still. Blood poured from the neck, staining their shoes, lapping at their soles.

In that moment, it was over.

The Condesce was dead.

Somewhere far above, the world shook as one as the bombs exploded. Without the Condesce's heartbeat to hold them back, they detonated all across Alternia in one, massive blast. In the third city, the one Vriska had left behind, all remaining Empire troops were wiped from the face of Alternia in one fell swoop. In the second city, the explosion from the bombs devastated the Empire forces and opened the doors for the remaining rebels to charge forth and kill those who remained. In the first city, they provided just the distraction the rebels needed to surge forward and overwhelm the dwindling Empire soldiers.

All over Alternia, the rebels pushed forward. The rebels  _won_. And deep in the bowels of the underwater base, where twelve trolls crouched in stunned silence, it was no different.

"We won," someone whispered. And while it was true, Eridan had never felt so cold.


	46. Where Have You Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karkat opens the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is INSANE to me that this is the last chapter. I have a policy of completely finishing all my stories before I begin posting them, so accounting for writing time, I've been working on/posting this story for over a year. I honestly don't even know what to say, now that it's about to be over. Just...wow.
> 
> That being said, I hope you guys like the final chapter! I'll never be able please everyone, but I do hope I've struck a happy medium here for all the different hopes everyone has for the ending.
> 
> This week's chapter is [ Where Have You Gone ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqwrpi0BoTk) by Christoffer Franzen. I think it captures the mood for this chapter perfectly.

The next few hours were a blur of movement. Eridan was among the least injured, battered though he may have been, and so he had no choice but to do his best to stay on his feet and help his friends get to the infirmary. Even though he was nearly doubled over in agony with the loss of the gills on his right side, he  _had_  to help Karkat. He had to help  _all_  of his friends.

"The castle has the best infirmary," Vriska said as they were trying to figure out what to do. Sollux was still unconscious, after all, as were several of their other friends, and every moment sent Karkat closer to death. "We need to move them. Everyone who can walk, grab someone and let's get out of here!"

Eridan moved to Karkat without question, but Gamzee beat him there. He was spread out next to Sollux, breathing shallow and uneven, blood gushing from his shredded arm and his chest. Barely clinging to life.

"I'll get Karbro," Gamzee said, and Eridan knew better than to argue. He picked Sollux up as the juggalo fretted over his moirail.

Then they were off. Reaching the castle…it was a feat that Eridan never wanted to relive. It was  _hell_. He could feel it, the way Karkat slipped closer and closer to the void with every passing moment, and he knew that some of the others were just as injured. Nepeta was barely holding on, and Terezi was choking on every breath. He had no idea if Sollux even had a  _chance_ at staying alive after having his powers stripped so forcefully.

Needless to say, the next few hours were hectic. Many of them were rushed into intensive care upon their arrival, the rest being moved to a less urgent examination room, but Eridan would not be separated from Karkat again. Not if he was going to die.

He watched. He watched as his matesprit was spread out over a cot and stripped of clothing, the healers fighting to keep him alive. He watched them cleanse his injuries and bind them, packing the chainsaw wound in his chest and setting his broken bones. And his arm…

"There's too much damage," one of the healers said grimly. Her hands were covered in Karkat's blood. "If we want to save him, it will have to be removed."

Eridan would have jumped up if he could, but he was pinned by the trolls working on his gills.  _Karkat_ …

Eridan turned his head away when they did it. By the time he looked back, Karkat was cleaned of blood and breathing steadily through an oxygen mask. Needles stuck out of his remaining wrist, pumping healing fluids into his system.

"I-is he…?" Eridan rasped, reaching a hand in his matesprit's direction.

One of the healers working on him gave a sharp nod. "He's stable, for now. We're not sure how long he'll last."

He nearly threw up. They weren't even sure Karkat would live.

"Lay down," the same healer ordered, and Eridan realized that he'd sat half up in his need to see Karkat. He allowed himself to be pushed back down.

"It's okay," another said. "We'll get you stitched up, then you'll be good as new."

But it wasn't true, and he knew it. His gills would be useless.

And Karkat…

 

* * *

 

Karkat opened his eyes to a sight not unfamiliar to him.

"Hello, young one. It's so good to see you've returned."

He pushed himself up slowly, bracing himself in the grass and waiting to be attacked by whatever surge of pain he was feeling in the real world. But…there was nothing. Looking down, he saw that he was dressed in the clothing he'd been wearing before he went into the fight, and that it was completely unmarked. No blood, no tears. No evidence he'd ever fought.

"Am…am I dead?" he asked. Because if he was here, in one of the dream bubbles, and it looked like he had been returned to his ideal state of health…

The Signless smiled warmly at him. His hood was down for once, letting his messy hair and bright eyes go free. "No, Karkat," he said. "You are still alive."

He blinked. "Oh. Then why…?"

"Because I thought it unwise to leave you alone without having one last conversation, something to clear the air."

_That's right._ Karkat wondered vaguely how long it had been since the battle, how long he'd been unconscious. Had the other ancestors already visited his friends? Did they approve of what they had done? Were they upset? He couldn't imagine people like the Grand Highblood and Dualscar would be pleased with their dancestors. Worry spiked through him as he thought about Eridan, facing down his asshole of an ancestor. That was…assuming he was actually alive. He remembered hooking his sickles in the Condesce's neck, but that was all he remembered. It was possible that they hadn't even  _won._ It was possible that the Condesce had managed to survive, had killed all his friends and taken him prisoner as some sort of trophy. It was possible that they'd already lost.

"Calm yourself," the Signless soothed, seeming to sense his building panic. "You are in the care of your friends, kept safe in the castle infirmary. They are attempting to save your life, and I believe they will yet succeed."

"And the others…?"

"No one has died, and the Condesce is gone."

Karkat's eyes went wide. "You mean…we did it? We won?"

"Yes, Karkat. You won."

He…couldn't believe it. After all their pain, all their suffering, all their  _sacrifice,_ they'd finally done it. The Condesce was dead, and all twelve of them had survived. Though, he noted, the Signless hadn't made any mention as to their conditions. They could be barely clinging to life, or deep in a coma for all he knew. Surely there was a catch.

The Signless rested a hand on his shoulder. He looked happier, more relaxed, than Karkat had ever seen him. "There is always a price for these things, my friend. Your life may be lost to you yet. But you're not here to think about such things, you're here for information! I couldn't very well leave you alone without speaking with you one more time, and the others agreed."

He shoved the thought of dying far back in his mind. He couldn't dwell on such things. "Information?" he echoed. "What kind of information are you intending to give me?"

The Signless shrugged. "Whatever I've deemed necessary. For one, the fact that I've convinced my friends to leave their dancestors alone permanently."

"You have?" Karkat echoed, stunned. "How did you make them listen to you?"

"Well, it wasn't easy. But I  _am_  somewhat respected around here, and I wield a significant amount of power. Even Dualscar was forced to bend to my will after a few discussions, and once he went down the others were easy. We have vowed to never interact with your world again."

"And yet here you stand."

"As I said, someone needed to know. People would wonder if we just disappeared entirely."

"I suppose you're right."

The corners of his ancestor's lips quirked upward. "I'm going to miss speaking with you, Karkat. All of us will miss our dancestors."

"At least we finished what you started," Karkat pointed out.

"That you have." The Signless raised a hand, and the landscape morphed. Karkat blinked, and they were standing back in the city where his ancestor had met his death.

"Signless…?"

He smiled again. "I have been tormented by this place my entire life. Do you know that?"

Karkat shook his head.

"It's my grave." He looked over to the glowing chains, the cracked earth, the damaged arrow holding firm in the stone slab where he'd been executed. "All this time, I hoped for someone to finally dispose of the Condesce. I saw the peaceful world that awaited us, the world that could have been if not for the game, and…I hoped. I'll admit that many times in your journey, I found myself doubting that hope. But now…" He looked down at him, expression a picture of glowing warmth. "I have always considered you to be worthy of my blood, Karkat, but now I find myself worrying that perhaps  _I_  am not worthy of  _yours_."

"O-oh, no," he said quickly, "I didn't do much. I just gave a few speeches, fought a few battles…"

"You attacked the Condesce, knowing that it could very well spell the end of your life, and refused to bend to her because you  _knew_ that giving your own life would mean her death. You managed to break free of her command and save not just the life of your matesprit, but the lives of everyone on Alternia. That makes you far more of a hero than me. You succeeded where I could not."

"It wasn't just me," he protested. "The Condesce's command didn't take fully, yes, but it was only because Feferi and Vriska used their combined powers to instill me with a sort of resistance to her. If they hadn't drilled into me the order to  _never_ obey the Condesce again, I wouldn't have had a chance. As it was, the Condesce was strong enough to wash some of their efforts away."

"She managed to take control of you, but not fully," the Signless recognized. "Kanaya's actions allowed you to break completely free, and you dealt the blow that allowed your friends to kill the Condesce. If not for you she would have won, and you would be dead."

"You said I still might die, right?"

He dipped his head. "Yes." A flick of the wrist, and Karkat was suddenly staring down into the castle's infirmary, where most of his friends were laid out on cots being treated by healers. He didn't have enough time to get a close look, but he recognized the blur of scarlet that was himself, spread out and completely limp on one of the beds. There were trolls scurrying all over him, working frantically to save his life. But before he could really tell what was going on, the vision was gone.

"You are teetering on the edge," the Signless murmured. "I believe that you will live, but no one can be sure. You were…heavily injured."

He knew. Oh, did he know.

"But let us not speak of such dark things," his ancestor said. "We are here to celebrate."

"We?" Karkat echoed. "I'm not celebrating while I'm not even sure my quadrants are alive. If  _I_ will still be alive in a few hours."

A smile, soft and genuine. "Forgive me. But for the rest of us, this is quite the occasion."

"The rest of…?"

Something flickered in the shadows. Yellow blotched his vision.

Karkat's eyes went wide. "Helmsman…?"

Mituna Captor bowed his head, looking more humble than he'd ever seen him. "We are in debt to you, Karkat. I know I can't exactly ask forgiveness for trying to get you killed, but at the very least recognize that I am sorry."

Karkat opened his mouth to respond, but another flicker of color caught his attention. Then another, and another, and suddenly he was facing down all of the ancestors present in the bubbles.

Nervously, he looked to those who he  _knew_ hated his guts. The Grand Highblood, Dualscar…but they just watched him with identical expressions of resignation, as if they knew their era had finally drawn to a close. For them, too, it was over.

"We are in your debt," the Dolorosa said, echoing the Helmsman's words. "You have finally set things right."

Mindfang gave a slow nod. "Looks like we were wrong about you. You did good, kid."

Another nod, this one from the Disciple. "You've freed us."

"Freed you?" Karkat echoed. "What do you mean?"

"Well…" she looked back to the Signless, who regarded her warmly. "The last of us have arrived now. We are finally free to move on, together."

"You're leaving." It wasn't a question.

"Yes, Karkat. We are. We no longer have a reason to remain."

Without really knowing why, he felt a surge of pain. The ancestors…they'd been here for so long, and now…

The Signless came forward. "We are entrusting our message of farewell to you, Karkat."

"Me. Someone who may not even live."

"See to it that you do, then."

He laughed before he could stop himself, a bit hysterically. "Fair enough."

The Signless gave a hum of amusement. But in less than a moment that amusement morphed into a sad kind of longing. "Karkat…my dancestor…we will never be able to repay you for what you have done for Alternia. You,  _and_  your quadrants. Your  _friends._  We are  _so_  very proud of all of you. But as my love has already explained, it is time for us to go. Our purpose here is done."

"I…" Karkat swallowed hard. Despite everything, he was going to miss having the ancestors around. Now more than ever, he wanted to ask their advice. He didn't know what to do next. "I understand."

"Don't worry, young one," Signless said, sensing his unease. "You will know what to do. It is no longer our place to interfere. It never was." He shot a sharp look to the Helmsman as he spoke. "Our era is over, and it is time for us to go."

As if on cue, the ancestors at the back of the group began to…well,  _dissolve_. Dualscar's skin went crackly and ashen, and he began to flake away into purple ash and smoke. There was a puff of brown for the Summoner, soft purple for the Grand Highblood, jade for the Disciple…they continued. Vanishing, dissolving into their blood colors and traveling to whatever rested beyond the dream bubbles.

The Signless looked to them, watched as the last of them began to deteriorate, then turned his gaze back on Karkat. He looked sad, but it was a hopeful sort of sad. "I'm proud of you, my dancestor."

"I know you are." He had to force it out, though, through the tightening in his throat. "Thanks, Signless. For everything."

He smiled. "Goodbye, Karkat."

Then he was gone.

Karkat watched the place where the ancestors had been, and wondered. He had no idea where they had gone, what would await them beyond the bubbles…but he was glad to see them go. The bubbles were no place to spend an afterlife, and the ancestors had been there for far too long. He could only hope that  _their_  dancestors, the ones from that original world of Beforus, would be free as well.

The earth shuddered beneath his feet. As he watched, the land around him changed. Grass sprouted up between the cracked cement, peeking up hopefully in the face of the bright Alternian sun. The buildings crumbled, decaying until vines wrapped up and down and through every available surface. The chains, the ones that had once held the Signless in place for his execution, thudded to the ground and lost their boiling glow. Rust and roots overcame them until they were sucked into the ground, forever lost. Everything that had once been artificial was now natural, a world transformed.

Karkat dipped his head to the scene. It…was time for him to go as well.

_Goodbye, Signless. Wherever you are now…I hope that you've finally found peace._

 

* * *

 

The world was slow to return to him. Everything just felt sort of  _warm,_ fuzzy and distant and just slightly painful, like he would be in agonizing pain if not for something holding it down just beneath the surface. Whatever that something was, he was grateful to it. Mostly, though, he thought he was just grateful to be so obviously alive. He wouldn't be hurting like this if he were dead in a bubble somewhere.

Karkat struggled to pry his eyes open despite the weights on his eyelids. What had happened before he passed out? Something…something had…

He cringed as past events began to come back to him. He remembered…confronting the Condesce with the rest of his friends. They'd lost. They'd lost, and Karkat had been on the ground, and the Condesce had wrapped her hands around his horns and looked him in the eyes, and—

And then a sort of half-aware state as he was both controlled and left to his own free will at the same time, body and mind only half responding to the order he'd been given for a reason he couldn't pinpoint.

Except, that wasn't the full truth. He knew why he'd only half responded to the command, why he'd been able to keep himself from killing Eridan, why he'd been aware enough to claw his way to his feet and tear his sickles into the Condesce's throat.

Feferi had ordered him to never again take a command from another tyrian. And while that command hadn't been powerful enough to completely override the Empress, it had been enough to grant him partial control. When Kanaya had thrown him back, he'd been jolted just firmly enough to shake it entirely.

And with that, the final memory—the Condesce tearing the prongs of her trident along his right arm, tearing it to shreds right before he passed out due to blood loss.

_My arm…_ He tried to move it, but nothing happened. He couldn't feel it. Something cold and terrible settled in the pit of his stomach.

What had happened after that? He'd cut into the Condesce's neck, but had it been enough to win? Or…was he back on the flagship? Or in a cell? Captured?

Karkat blinked hard as the white of the ceiling finally went from blinding to bearable. It looked like the tiles of an infirmary, but where? Who had him? He tried to turn his head and realized he couldn't; there was a wreath of spongy white material keeping his neck still. His chest twinged with even the slightest movement, where Kanaya had slashed him. His arm still remained a question mark in his mind.

Finally he managed to move at least his eyes. Glancing around, he caught sight of what looked like a medical attendant stooped over the cot across from his. A rustblood. He wasn't with the Empire, then. They'd never allow someone of such a low caste to work such an important job. So…he was among friends.

_Did we…win?_ He could hardly believe it was the truth. Surely they'd lost, managed to escape somehow, and were now hiding out somewhere secret while they licked their wounds. Had they really  _won?_

A soft voice sounded to his right. His chest leapt at the sight of Feferi, standing there with heavy bandages around her chest, having what looked like an almost cheerful conversation with a mostly unharmed Vriska Serket. The two of them were alive, then. Who else?

He strained to get a look at the other people on his left. He could see cots, see the gray blobs contained within those cots, but he couldn't make out any more of his friends. Frowning, he turned his head to the right, and—

_Eridan!_

How had he not noticed? Eridan was slumped against the side of his cot, presumably out of his own seeing as the bed behind him was empty and there were tubes sticking out of his arms, connecting back to a nearby apparatus. He didn't look asleep, just exhausted. Bandages were swathed over his face, but Karkat couldn't see anything else from behind his scraped arms.

Karkat tried to reach out to touch him, and frowned. He still couldn't feel his arm, but…what was that thing on the bed next to him?

He tried to touch it again, this time with his left hand, but even the slightest movement sent jolting pain up his spine. He resigned himself to just looking, to putting it together with his eyes instead of his fingers. It was silver, whatever it was.

_I want to move my arm,_ he thought, and the silver thing twitched as he thought it.  _Come on, can't you just curl your fingers? What's going on?_ Five protrusions from the end of the silver thing clenched together as he thought it.

Understanding flashed through him. Suddenly, he was cold.

He must have made a sound, because Eridan raised his head suddenly. His eyes were soft, glazed with pain and exhaustion. "Kar?" he rasped. "Are you…?"

Karkat tried to touch him, to make sure he was okay. And this time, now that he knew what that silver thing was, it responded to his thoughts. It flailed, though, unaccustomed to being controlled, and Eridan had to catch it before it could beam him upside the head. Karkat whimpered.

Eridan's expression went a different kind of pained. "Oh, Kar," he whispered. His fingers pressed to the metal, to the, the, the  _prosthetic,_ that's what it was, that's what it was called, caressing it as if it were something precious instead of something cold and inorganic that had replaced a part of himself. Black lips pressed to the metal, but Karkat couldn't feel it.

"D-did we…?" he managed, before his throat screamed in protest and he had to fall silent.

Eridan hung onto his prosthetic arm like a lifeline. "We won," he assured him in a soft, reverent tone. "The Condesce is dead, and we drove the Empire out."

He almost felt relieved, but not yet. "Is everyone okay?"

Something changed in Eridan's expression. "Yeah, Kar. No one died. You and Sol came the closest, but…" The seadweller shook his head. "But you'll recover. Even if you're a little different than before."

Something about the way he said that made Karkat's stomach lurch with fear. What of Sollux's powers? Were they really gone for good?

He didn't have time to worry about that, though. Not before he was drifting off again, still under the influence of whatever drugs had been pumped into his system.

 

* * *

 

Eridan watched sadly as Karkat slid back into unconsciousness, fingers stroking idly at the prosthetic that had replaced his right arm. It wasn't a surprise he needed to sleep more, seeing as he'd been dosed with a drug to help him sleep only six hours previous when Equius had attached the prosthetic. He shouldn't have been awake yet in the first place.

The past few days had been hectic, to say the least. After they'd defeated the Condesce, they'd received word quickly that the remaining Empire troops had either been killed or driven off.

Just like that, the Empire was no more.

It had been a bit chaotic afterward. Hundreds of rebels had been rushed into intensive care, Eridan and most of his friends included, and it had taken time for their wounds to be stabilized. Of all of them, Karkat had come the closest to slipping away. Kanaya had ripped a gaping wound in his chest and the Condesce had shredded his arm to ribbons until not even the best healers could salvage it. The Condesce had simply done too much damage. The healers had done what they could, but in the end it had been simpler to call Equius in to design a replacement. Seeing as he was one of the least injured among them, it hadn't been too high an ask for him to take a prosthetic he already had and alter it so it matched Karkat perfectly. A whole lot of complicated mechanics later, Karkat's prosthetic was firmly affixed to the few inches of upper arm he'd managed to preserve. The rest of his wounds were stabilized, and he was dosed with enough medication to help him sleep for days.

While Karkat was undergoing surgery for his arm, most of the others were also fighting to recover from their injuries. Feferi had her chest stitched and heavily bandaged. Vriska and Terezi both dealt with stitching around more serious wounds, though they were definitely among the least injured. Gamzee was kept down for a while due to a bad concussion. Aradia had to wear a brace around a broken bone in her arm and a slew of bandages around her torn throat. Equius underwent stitching to the remnants of the wound in his back, and was down for a day to heal a minor head wound. His moirail, meanwhile, was left firmly unconscious in the wake of a vicious blow to the head. Tavros was the same way. And of course…Sollux.

Surprisingly, Sollux had been one of the first to wake up of the trolls that had been forcefully knocked unconscious. He'd been almost shockingly reserved about losing his eyes and his powers.

"You defeated the Condesce," he'd said simply, though it was a little more melancholy than normal. "If it took me losing my powers to make that happen, I can't complain."

Eridan saw what happened, though, when Sollux curled in on himself and cried when he thought everyone else was asleep. The psionic— _former_  psionic—wasn't as stoic as he pretended to be.

And…neither was Eridan himself.

He wasn't as bad as he could have been, really. There were a couple of serious wounds on his arms, legs, and torso, but they hadn't really put his life in danger due to having been cauterized immediately by the psionics that caused them. They hurt like hell, made it hard to move, but the real problem was the slash that had been torn right down his side. The one that had completely obliterated the gills on his right-hand side.

He'd live. It wasn't serious, and he healed quickly due to his blood. But as a terrified healer had informed him, ready to bolt in case of an explosion, breathing underwater wasn't really going to be a thing anymore. The seadweller had lost his ability to reside in the sea.

They'd all lost something, then. Karkat's arm, Sollux's powers, Eridan's gills. No one was without injury. It was just the price they paid for daring to change the world they lived in.

While they recovered, the world around them was doing the same. They were still in that lulling period where the majority of the population was attempting to recover without really worrying about government or leadership, and everything was peaceful. Eridan was thankful for it; it was giving the twelve of them a chance to recover before they had to leap headlong into figuring out a new system of government.

Soon, the rebuilding would begin. Soon, they would have to act like adults again. But for now they just rested, some more fitfully than others, and waited for the storm to pass.

 

* * *

 

The next time Karkat opened his eyes, he felt much more lucid. Whatever he'd been dosed with had long since worn off, and he was able to move a little without feeling immediate and debilitating pain. He felt better, but not good. Feeling good was still a long ways off.

He didn't remember until he tried to touch at his bandages that one of his arms was just… _gone._ Replaced with cold, unfeeling metal. A surge of nausea washed over him at the memory of Eridan kissing the thing in an attempt to calm him. It was attached to his body, but it wasn't his. He couldn't even control it very well yet. When he tried to lift it, it just sort of hopped once on the mattress and jostled his wounds. He groaned.

Something shifted in the bed beside him. "KK? Is that you?"

He jumped. Swung his head to the other side. "Sollux?"

The former psionic raised a weary hand. "That's me. Whatever that means, now."

Karkat fought against a flicker of pity. Sollux was just  _sitting_ there, not even lying back against the pillows, just staring sightlessly at the sheets. There were heavy bandages over his eyes and lightning scars all across his skin. He looked miserable.

"They told me you lost your arm."

Karkat winced. He…didn't really want to think about that yet. There was just so much to take in already, and he didn't even know everything. "Yeah," he settled on. "The Condesce, she…just kind of shredded it."

Sollux's expression didn't change. "You have a prosthetic, right?"

"Yeah," he repeated. He swallowed down the bitter panic starting to bubble up in his chest. He couldn't let himself panic, not when he'd only lost an arm. Sollux had lost everything. "How are you doing?"

Sollux gave an apathetic shrug. "I don't know. I thought I'd be devastated, but after the first few days I just kind of…leveled out. I don't feel as angry as I used to."

"How long has it been since the Condesce died?"  _Since I fell asleep?_

"It's been five days. Everyone is still recovering, so no one's scrabbling to talk about leadership just yet. We have a while before we get to that point."

He sounded so  _tired._ Like all the fight had drained out of him, and he was just going through the motions. "Sollux. Are you okay?"

His kismesis turned unseeing eyes in his direction. "KK. My powers are gone."

"I know," he rasped.

"They're gone, and no amount of practice or training or meditation or what the fuck ever is going to bring them back."

"I know," he repeated. His chest ached.

Sollux raised a hand in front of his face as if he could still see the scars that crisscrossed his skin. "I did it for the greater good. I used my powers to save the slaves and the other psionics aboard the flagship, to keep the Condesce busy while everyone else arrived to take her down."

"We couldn't have won without you."

"I know. But…" He coughed awkwardly. "Look, KK—this is something I should be taking to AA about. You know that, right?"

He knew. But he'd flipped into every quadrant with Sollux at least once, so he didn't see a problem with waxing pale for a few minutes. "After everything we've been through, we'll be fucked if we can't flip pale long enough to keep you from offing yourself while Aradia's out of the room. Come on, Captor. Lay it on me."

Sollux deflated in an instant. "Okay."

Karkat tried to reach out, then winced as he realized that using his right arm probably wasn't a good idea. "Do you want to come here?"

Sollux was there in a heartbeat, so quickly that Karkat wondered how he'd managed it. "I'm not hurt that badly," Sollux explained in a murmur, hopping up into Karkat's cot and curling into his side. His  _right_ side, which meant that when he reached out to latch onto his arm, he ended up grabbing onto unfeeling metal. He didn't flinch, though, to Karkat's surprise. He would have thought that he'd be disgusted. "It was just my eyes and my powers, so the rest of me is pretty okay."

"You don't  _sound_ okay," Karkat said. "You sound fucked."

"Yeah…yeah, that too." Sollux's forehead thudded dully onto his shoulder. "I don't know, KK…logically, I know that the Condesce probably would have won without my efforts, that this rebellion never would have happened without me, but…I wasn't even conscious for the final blow. You guys defeated her. Not me."

Karkat raised his left arm obligingly to rub at the nape of Sollux's neck. His chest ached as he moved. "I wasn't conscious for the final blow either. Neither was Nepeta. We all just did our best, and if we got taken down before the Condesce died, that was just how it went. I…I know that you wanted it to be fairytale perfect. I think we all did. We wanted to rush the fuck in there and take down the Condesce with no casualties and no problems. We wanted each and every single one of us to feel like we mattered, like the Condesce wouldn't have died without us. But that's just not how life is, I guess. We all came away with injuries. Nepeta hasn't even woken up yet. Eridan lost all the gills on his right side. Gamzee is always going to have those ridiculous scars. You lost your powers. I lost a fucking  _arm_.

"I guess the point is, we  _did_ all matter. It's like you said, the rebellion wouldn't have ever begun if you hadn't taken it upon yourself. If not for me, we never would have gained enough support to fight back. Without Eridan, I would have died long before I had the chance to help you. We all played a part in this. Even if that part wasn't what we imagined it would be."

Sollux rumbled out something between a laugh and a purr. "Ever the eloquent speaker, KK. If you'd had more time, you probably could have won the war by convincing the Condesce to kill herself."

He snorted. "Let's not get overdramatic. All I'm trying to say is that even though you didn't quite get to deal the killing blow, you were more than crucial to our success. I don't think we could have done this without each and every rebel fighting out there."

"You always know just what to say," Sollux said wearily. "It's funny…you're so shouty and violent, but somehow when it comes right down to it you never let anyone down."

"I wouldn't say that. If that were true, I could have stopped a lot more rebels from dying."

"You can't blame yourself for that, KK."

"No…I guess I can't. But I can still try."

Sollux's fingers ran up the metal of his prosthetic until it reached the place where it joined to what remained of his upper arm. "I'm sorry you lost this."

Karkat grabbed at Sollux's wrist, tugging his fingers away. "Yeah. So am I."

He frowned. "You don't want me to touch it?"

"It's…" He trailed off. What was he supposed to say? How was he supposed to explain how useless he felt, how sick? He'd won. He'd given a part of his body in exchange for victory. But still…just thinking about it made him nauseous. He wasn't sure why. "I don't know," he settled on eventually.

Sollux's expression went soft and pitying. "KK…"

"I have no room to complain. I  _know_  that. This happened so we could defeat the Condesce. Fuck, you lost your  _powers_ to defeat the Condesce. You're more fucked than I am."

"Thanks for that, asshole." But the swat he received was playful, gentle, even, and Sollux didn't look upset. "Just because I lost something more doesn't mean you don't have the right to feel like shit over what happened. It  _sucks._  It shouldn't have happened to you."

"Or to you," he rasped.

"Yeah," Sollux agreed with a chuckle. "Or to me."

Karkat hummed, resting his head atop Sollux's. It felt good. The best since he'd been ripped into by the Condesce. "We won, though."

"We did." Fingers returned to his prosthetic. This time, he didn't push them away. "I guess it's just a matter of recovering now, huh? For all of us."

"I guess it is. However long that takes."

Sollux turned his face away. He knew, as Karkat knew, that recovery from this wasn't going to be a simple process for anyone. So much had happened, and now that they were no longer in danger they had time to let the shock set in. Karkat had a feeling that all of them were going to suffer for a long, long time after this.

"Hey…do you mind if I stay here for a while?"

Karkat laughed, though it was somewhat devoid of humor. "Don't you think I would have kicked you out by now if I wanted you to leave?"

Sollux shrugged. "I don't know. I can't see your face, so I can't tell if you're irritated or not."

"Sollux…"

"That wasn't a cry for pity," he clarified quickly. "Just…a warning that things are probably going to be different now. I'm not sure how much of a fight I'll be able to put up in our kismesissitude. If that bothers you…"

"Are you kidding me?" Karkat snorted, swatting him on the arm. "You were way overpowered before; this is perfect for me. I might actually stand a chance."

"You really know how to put a positive spin on the situation, for someone who's normally so negative."

"It's a talent."

"Hmm…" Sollux paused to press himself harder against his side. Then, suddenly, "What do you think is going to happen from here on out?"

He paused. "I think…we're going to do whatever we have to. I guess the new world will need a government, and we'll have to figure out how to populate this council we've set up with enough trolls to properly represent all the interest groups on Alternia. Then we'll decide if we want to lead, take it to the public for a vote, and…then we just deal with what comes. If we're chosen to lead, then we lead. If we aren't, then we just sit back and offer a guiding word whenever it's needed."

"How the fuck are we supposed to make all those decisions about the council?"

"We just do. I guess we'll probably have at least one representative for every caste, plus one more for the mutants that we both know are out there, and we'll go from there. Maybe we'll need more or less or whatever, and we'll deal with it. The first few years of it are probably going to be insanely confusing, so we can't expect everything to fall into place right away."

"…Right."

"Is something wrong?"

"No," Sollux said quickly, "Nothing's wrong. I'm just worried, I guess, about the future. Whether or not we can get the people to unite and choose leaders they agree on, or if they'll just decide to start bickering amongst themselves again. Whether or not we'll just fall apart, and everything will have been for nothing."

"God, Sollux, you can't think like that right now! It's going to take a lot of fucking time for this mess to work itself out; you just have to understand that and _be patient._  Things will seem better soon."

"And I suppose you think you can promise me something like that, with the full certainty that it'll be okay."

"Captor, I know just as much as you. I can't promise shit."

"Fair enough. I guess all we can do is wait, huh?"

"Yeah. Wait for the public to be ready to talk about leaders. I imagine we'll have to speak with them one more time to discuss councilmembers, then…they'll be set loose to make a decision."

Sollux rubbed at his eyes tiredly. "Fuck. I really wish there was something we could do in the meantime."

"Recover, Captor. That's all we need to do right now."

After that, there was little talk between them. Sollux curled into him, murmuring something about flipping black and  _staying_ black when he woke up, Karkat responded with a self-assured huff, and then Sollux was drifting off on his shoulder while Karkat held him with the one arm he felt comfortable using. Silently, he resigned himself to letting his kismesis sleep on him for as long as he wanted. He figured that the former psionic probably needed the comfort.

Coincidentally, Karkat also needed the comfort.

He wondered where Eridan and Gamzee were. Eridan in particular hadn't seemed to leave his side, even though he was obviously hurting and in need of rest of his own. Now, though, when he really wanted his matesprit, he was nowhere to be found. Come to think of it, he could really use his moirail right now, too. Where was Gamzee?

And on a larger scale, what was going on outside? He'd heard from Eridan that people were still trying to heal, still trying to figure out who they were without the Empire and what they should be doing. But the more time passed the more people began to figure out what they wanted, and very soon the populous would want to choose leadership. Karkat and the others would have to be ready to greet them when they did, as the closest thing to leaders the rebels—or  _former_ rebels—had to leadership had been Karkat and Sollux, who had promptly attempted to kill each other on live television. Or rather… _he_  had attempted to kill  _Sollux_.

What would the people choose now?

Karkat blinked as the doors of the infirmary opened, a dark shape sliding into the room and making its way across the door. He recognized the horns immediately.

"Gamzee?"

The juggalo looked up with a surprised blink. "Karbro?" he whispered. "You're awake?"

He pushed himself up a little so he could get a better look at his moirail as he walked in. "Barely," he murmured. "Don't wake Sollux."

Gamzee looked down, and for a moment Karkat worried that he'd be jealous of the momentary flip. But then he grinned, eyes sparkling with humor, and said, "Good to see you and Solbro taking care of each other."

Karkat leaned to one side as his moirail seated himself on the edge of the bed and rested an elbow on his knee. "Are you okay?" he asked. "I heard you took a nasty blow to the head."

Gamzee shrugged. "I'm good, brother. Had a few days to up and recover, same as you."

"Nothing catastrophic, then?"

"Just a few scars, nothing major."

Karkat winced, thinking of the scars across Gamzee's face and the reason they were there in the first place.

"Aww, Karbro…not thinking about that now."

Of course Gamzee had seen straight through him. He always had. "Sorry, sorry…I guess there are more important things to deal with right now than my own guilt."

"You could up and say that." Gamzee scooted a little closer, edging up around Sollux so he wouldn't wake him. For the second time that night, Karkat felt fingers probing around the base of his prosthetic. "Does it hurt still? Anything I need to get Equius for?"

Karkat shook his head. "It doesn't hurt. Whatever he did, it worked."

"You can move it and everything?"

"Well…" He trailed off. "I can try. It doesn't really listen to me half the time."

"It'll get easier, brother. I promise. Just look at Vriska!"

"Right. I'll just look at Serket."

Gamzee's expression twisted with guilt and pity. He moved to lean forward, to wrap Karkat up in his arms, then seemed to think better of it as he noticed Sollux still fast asleep and slumped on the redblood's shoulder. He settled for reaching out and rubbing a thumb around the base of Karkat's right horn, drawing forth a rusty purr. "Karbro…"

"It's stupid," Karkat said immediately. "I know that, you don't have to tell me. The problem is, I can't stop feeling  _so fucking bitter_  over the whole situation. This was a mess. The fight was a mess, the war was a mess, and it sounds like the outside world is a mess too."

"It's gonna be okay, brother. Everyone'll figure it out."

"I hope you're right," he muttered. "Because if you're not, we will have done all this for nothing."

"That what you're up and worried about?" Gamzee rumbled. "That the public doesn't understand everything we motherfucking sacrificed for this, and that they'll take it for granted and mess it the motherfuck up?"

"That…is actually really fucking perceptive. What the fuck, Gamzee?"

A laugh. "I wouldn't worry about all that, Karbro. You don't motherfucking understand it yet, but the others sacrificed just as much as we did. They ain't about to forget all that."

_That's right,_ he thought.  _I hadn't considered it, but there are hundreds, if not thousands of trolls that are injured just like the twelve of us. They aren't going to throw this chance away because they know that doing so will invalidate all their pain, all their sacrifice. We're not so different._

Gamzee seemed to pick up on the sudden shift. "There you go," he purred. "We lost a lot, but so did everyone else. We're all good, brother. All motherfucking good."

Karkat reached out with his metallic hand without thinking, nearly smacking Gamzee upside the head before the indigoblood caught him gently by the wrist and pressed a kiss to the inorganic knuckles.

"Oh, shit, I'm sorry—"

"No harm done," Gamzee said, kissing him again. Karkat wished he could still feel it. "It's a part of you, Karbro. I love it just as much as the rest of you."

A strange mixture of devastation and relief washed through him. "Gamzee…"

"Shh, brother. Motherfucking shoosh. I know it feels all kinds of weird to lose a part of yourself like that, but it'll get easier. And your quadrants will be around to help out whenever they motherfucking can, okay?"

He took in a deep, shuddering breath. "I-I want to…" fingers stretched in Gamzee's direction, metallic and unfeeling, wanting to grab but not wanting to hurt.

Gamzee understood. "I know. It's okay, Karbro, you aren't going to hurt me."

"Aren't I? I've done it before."

"That wasn't your motherfucking fault and you know it. You weren't in your right mind."

"Yeah," he said bitterly. "I guess you're right."

"Aww…" Palms patted at his cheeks in an attempt to soothe him. "All that's in the motherfucking past now. No one blames you for any of it, least of all me. Got it?"

The fingers of his right hand clenched again, and Gamzee's face broke out in a dopey grin. He let go of his wrist. "Come on," the indigoblood said, "do your motherfucking worst."

Karkat gulped. Reached out, the joints in the prosthetic whining slightly with the stiffness that came from disuse. Then he was clinging the best he could, probably with just a bit too much strength, probably with enough force to bruise, but Gamzee didn't make a sound. He just leaned into the crushing arm around his shoulders the best he could, returning Karkat's hold with one of his own and purring hard.

"See?" Gamzee whispered. "You couldn't hurt me with that thing if you motherfucking tried."

Some knot deep in his chest untangled in a snap. He couldn't hurt Gamzee. Even now, when he had only partial control, he couldn't bring accidental harm to his moirail. The corners of his eyes stung as he just clung tighter.

_Sollux is recovering after the loss of his powers,_ he thought.  _Gamzee is completely unharmed and willing to accommodate the prosthetic that makes me sick to look at. They're…okay. The two of them are going to be okay._

"How's Eridan?" he asked suddenly, driven to ask about the one quadrant he hadn't yet had a coherent conversation with. "Is he…?"

Gamzee's features twisted slightly. "He's…alive."

Something cold and dark settled in the pit of Karkat's stomach. "Gamzee. What's wrong with him?"

Again, there was a beat of hesitation. "Karbro…I think maybe he should be the one to—"

_"Gamzee."_

The rest of his sentence died in his throat. Then Gamzee was sighing, pressing his face into Karkat's shoulder, and saying, "The Condesce up and wrecked the gills on his right side with those wicked motherfucking claws of hers."

"She fucking  _what?"_

"Tore his gills out," Gamzee repeated with a wince. "Just on the right side, so he can still breathe underwater a bit, but it's not good. Motherfucker can't stay under like he used to."

His heart sank straight through to his toes. Eridan…couldn't swim underwater anymore? Couldn't stay down for an unlimited amount of time? The battle…it had really done that to him?

"He'll explain it better than I can," Gamzee continued. "Don't feel too bad until you talk to him, okay?"

"Where is he?"

"Think he went out to talk with Feferi and the others. He'll be back soon, though—he hasn't left your motherfucking side since he woke up."

"I should go—"

"You should motherfucking rest," Gamzee insisted in a half-serious growl that left no room for argument. "You're still weak, Karbro, thanks to those wounds on your chest. You'll be good to walk around soon but not yet, so…rest, okay? For me?"

Karkat snorted. "You're a sentimental wreck and I pity you."

"Does that mean you'll stay put?"

"Only for a while."

Gamzee purred out a laugh and drew him closer.

It…felt kind of okay.

 

* * *

 

As beat up as Eridan was, he still found the strength to at least somewhat return to the normal world as Karkat slept. Not that the world was  _really_  normal—not by any stretch of the imagination—but everyone was trying to achieve something resembling normality.

While the rest of the world just tried to get back on its feet, Eridan and his friends were scrambling to put together some sort of government that the people would be willing to accept. And in the end, they'd come up with something workable.

"We'll just alter Sollux's council a little!" Feferi had chirped at their initial meeting, while Karkat and Sollux and Nepeta were fast asleep in the infirmary and the others were still struggling to move. "One representative for each blood caste, and one for mutants. No regulations are approved without a majority vote."

"That leaves a lot of holes," Terezi had been quick to point out. "What about representation based on population? It isn't fair that thousands of burgundies answer to one councilmember while Feferi answers only for herself, being the only tyrian left. And what about varying houses to check each other in case one is too powerful, and limits on what kinds of regulations our government can create? We can't just start throwing our weight around, taking away freedoms that the rebels fought to protect. We have to think about this!"

Cue the confused staring.

"You actually know this stuff?" Eridan had demanded.

"Well, duh. I'm a legislacerator!"

That had been enough for everyone to pawn off the designing of their new political system on Terezi. She'd been sent away on day three, and on day five she'd returned with a system so complex and so  _brilliant_ that Eridan couldn't really begin to understand it. One government clan with one representative for each blood color (plus one for mutants), another clan with, like…representatives based on population? Or something? Eridan wasn't really sure how it worked. There was another clan too, plus councils and countless ways to check rules and regulations, and honestly the whole thing was amazingly thought out. Terezi was a god. He understood none of it.

After Terezi had finished working out their system of government, it had been time to announce it to the public. That was going to be left up to Karkat and Sollux originally, but it had quickly been decided that they were too weak and too traumatized to really understand and explain the system. They would be used more as motivational speakers, to say something about the defeat of the Condesce and the future of Alternia lying with democracy. There wouldn't be too much pressure that way, and they could decide in their own time if they wanted to participate in the government they'd fought to create. They'd have to win an election, of course, seeing as that was how things were going to be done now, but Eridan had no doubt that they could convince the populous to elect them. The only question was whether or not they'd be up for it.

They just needed Karkat and Sollux to heal before they could introduce their new system.

That was what led Eridan back to the infirmary after the latest meeting with Terezi and the others to hash out a few details that hadn't yet been addressed. He didn't like being away from Karkat in general, but he hadn't yet been able to have a good conversation with his matesprit since their fight against the Condesce. He'd either been asleep or jamming with Gamzee, or (god forbid) snapping tiredly at Sollux. There was a conversation to be had there, too—quite frankly, Eridan suspected that the former psionic's lingering black feelings for him had been wiped out by the sudden loss of his powers, so the real need for an auspice was questionable—but Eridan hadn't quite gotten around to it. Nor had he gotten around to speaking with Kanaya, who had very nearly given her life to save him and discovered her true nature as a result.

All of his quadrants were a mess. So it was time to sort out at least one.

"Hey, Kar," he greeted, stepping into the infirmary with a wince. The ruined gills on his right side still hurt like hell whenever he moved. "How are you feeling?"

Karkat looked up from where he was standing, doing some kind of exercise with his mechanical arm in the center of the empty infirmary. Not even Sollux was there, probably off speaking with Aradia or Feferi.

"Ampora," Karkat greeted in a clipped tone, going back to juggling a wooden sickle between both hands. He stumbled a little every time he tried to catch with the right. "I'm well, other than the fact that I can't seem to get this ridiculous excuse for an arm to cooperate with me."

"Could be worse," Eridan tried, stepping closer. It was fascinating, watching Equius's creation help his matesprit move. Not that he could say that without sounding like an insensitive ass. "At least it was your non-dominant arm."

"Yeah, being left-handed is a real advantage for me right now." But he sounded a little more optimistic as he said it, using his dominant arm to twirl his practice sickle expertly, if somewhat painfully. His right arm whirred with gears and pulleys that weren't calibrated quite right. Equius had said that it would take a while to really get the hang of using the arm, that just practicing with it would help calibrate the finer aspects.

Eridan raised a brow as Karkat winced. His wounds must have been hurting him. "Are you sure you should be up right now? Your chest still needs to heal."

"Yeah, and so does basically every part of you. I heard you got yourself fucking wrecked."

He winced. "Yeah…my, uh…"

"Your gills," Karkat said shortly, tightly. He swung hard with the practice sickle. "You lost the gills on your right side, had a chunk taken out of your leg, had a few stripes burned into your chest and arms…it's a miracle you weren't killed outright."

Eridan rubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly, saying, "Kan really saved my hide."

"She saved all of us. You refused to hit me hard enough to snap me out of the stupor the Condesce put me in, so she took the initiative and put me in a position to deal the  _almost_ killing blow."

"How did that work, anyway?" he asked. "I thought the Condesce's command was absolute."

"Absolute, yeah, but I had Feferi and Vriska hammer into my head that I wasn't allowed to obey any other commands fed to me. They weren't as strong as the Condesce, but together they managed to at least give me a fighting chance. I was half compelled to kill you, but it wasn't strong enough to actually make me to for the throat. I just kind of attacked sloppily, half against my will, until Kanaya's blow rattled me hard enough to get rid of the remaining impulse to disembowel you."

"That was…nice of her, then. Even if she had to chainsaw you in the chest."

"Even if."

Eridan reached out soundlessly as Karkat staggered, straightening him up before he had the chance to fall over. "Easy, there. You're still getting used to the thing."

"Right, right…" He clenched and unclenched his robotic fingers repeatedly. "I guess it'll get easier and all that bullshit, but right now it feels impossible. But…I guess it's probably just as bad for you, huh?"

A flicker of regret raced through him. His right gills…without them he wouldn't be able to breathe underwater as easily or for as long. In fact, swimming in general would probably become much more difficult. It was kind of like losing a limb, but he wouldn't dare compare it to Karkat's loss, or Sollux's. He didn't want to make it sound worse than it was, and—

"Eridan."

He started. "Kar?"

"Stop undermining your own pain; I can tell that you're hurting because of this."

All the fight melted out of him. "Yeah…okay. I lost my gills and I hate it. I feel like garbage because I let Kan chainsaw you in the chest. I despise the fact that I let you get hurt. I despise the fact that Kan ended up skewered through the chest because of me. And…for some reason I  _still_  feel like garbage, even though I'm talkin' to you about it!"

Karkat's features lessened in severity, filling with something almost like acceptance. "Kanaya."

"Huh?"

"Go see Kanaya. She'll help you."

"But…Kar…?"

The mutant swatted him lightly on the shoulder. "It's been a week since we offed the Condesce, and I think it's time to start working toward the future. I'm going to go speak to Terezi about the new political system in a few hours, and Sollux and I should be giving an address to the public in a matter of days. There'll be a vote apparently, and after that we'll be in the clear."

"Not planning on lending a hand in the new government?"

"Are you kidding? I hardly even know what the term  _democratic_ fucking  _means,_ let alone how to help run a government founded on its basic principles! Other than coming in as the occasional figurehead, I'm out."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. Travel around, maybe, give a few bullshit speeches about accepting mutants into everyday society. Be my own version of the Signless. Or at least, a cheap knockoff of him."

"I don't suppose I'm invited?"

Sharp eyes locked onto him. "You really want to come?"

"Are you kiddin'? I did all this shit for you; I am  _not_  lettin' you go now."

"That's…comforting."

"I was bein' serious, Kar. Wherever you go, I'm there."

Karkat's expression softened. Just slightly, but it was something. "Okay. But you should probably let Kanaya know if you're going to gallivant around the world with me."

"Kan? What do you mean?"

He raised a brow. "Seriously? Eridan, she tried pretty hard to die for you."

"And…?"

"Oh my god. Just go see her."

"Well I don't really think it's necessary, seein' as I'm pretty sure Sol and I don't need an auspice anymore, and—"

"Eridan, you wreck, go see her!"

The seadweller jolted, yelping, "Okay, okay, I'll go see her! I just don't know what you—"

_"Eridan."_

"I'm going!"

 

* * *

 

"Eridan! How lovely to see you!"

That was the first thing he heard when he made his way into Kanaya's quarters, which were located high and bright above the ground floor of Feferi's castle. She'd been rather reclusive since her transformation into a full-fledged rainbow drinker, no doubt figuring out how to deal with her new nature. Having the desire to drink troll blood probably wasn't the easiest thing to shoulder.

"Kan," Eridan greeted once he'd finally blinked the brightness of the sun from his eyes. Kanaya herself was brighter now, glowing slightly with a delicate sort of grace. It was false advertising, really, seeing as Kanaya was more than capable of snapping his neck before he even had the chance to realize she was moving. "You're lookin' more shiny than usual."

She gave a tiny smile. "And you're looking more tired. Have you been sleeping?"

"As much as I can, given the circumstances."

"Ah, yes. How is Karkat?"

"He's doin' fine. Strugglin' with the new arm a bit, but that's to be expected."

"I really am sorry about that, by the way."

"What, the chainsaw to the chest? Don't be; he said he was thankful for it. It saved all of our lives."

"While I find it hard to believe that he was grateful to be slashed through the chest by a chainsaw, I appreciate the sentiment."

A bubble of contentment rose in his chest. "What about you? Did you heal up okay? Did, uh…you have a hard time finding something to eat?"

Kanaya gave a halfhearted laugh. Said, "There were a number of fresh bodies readily available to me immediately after the battle's end. I imagine that as time goes on, though, it will become something of a challenge for me to find willing donors. I do not intend to kill to feed myself, even if that means hundreds of sweeps of hunger."

"Right—I guess your new state of being means that you'll live a lot longer, huh?"

"I'll live slightly longer than you, yes, but not by more than a few dozen sweeps. I imagine that will be just about right."

"Just about right…?"

Kanaya stared. "It will be just about right for us, don't you think? I'll only live a short bit longer."

"I, uh…I'm not following."

More staring.

Eridan cleared his throat. "Look, Kan, the reason I came here was to talk to you about Sol and me."

"What of the two of you?"

"It's just…we were tryin' to get you as an auspice because Sol's black feelin's for me were makin' things hard between him and Kar, and we thought that maybe you could help us. But now it looks like Sol's powers are gone, and as a result he seems totally committed to Kar. No black feelin's for me at all. So…I guess we're not really lookin' for you to mediate between us anymore."

Kanaya's expression remained completely level as Eridan spoke, simply watching him with a blank kind of frustration. "Well that's good, then, seeing as I was never going for you as an auspice."

Eridan blinked. "You weren't? But you were always askin' after me and makin' sure that I was…" He trailed off, realization striking him suddenly. "Oh.  _Oh_."

"Eridan, did you honestly believe I was flirting ashen with you and not including Sollux?"

"Well, what else was I supposed to think?" he cried, still grappling with the concept Kanaya was proposing.

"Oh, Eridan," she sighed. "You're a mess, and I pity you. And if you're not too opposed to the idea, I would very much like to make sure that you never feel any negative emotion ever again."

"Kan…are you askin' what I think you're askin'?"

"In eloquent terms, I'm requesting that you allow me to soothe your troubles. In blunter terms, I'm requesting that you grant me access to your pale quadrant."

His head spun. "Shit…that would be…"

"Perfect, I assume, seeing as you obviously need someone to take care of you, and Karkat seems down for the count."

"What happened to hatin' my guts?"

"People change, Eridan. The two of us are no exception."

"And…you're sure that you want that? With me? I can be kind of a handful, if you hadn't noticed."

"I've noticed. Believe me."

"And you're really still willing to go along with this."

"Eridan Ampora, I would like nothing more than to act as your moirail, if you would allow it."

Having moirail again…could he really handle it? The thing with Feferi had been so disastrous, and he didn't know if he could take another letdown. But then again, if he already had his red quadrant filled, there wasn't really much of a risk that he would slip up. After all, flipping from pale to black was practically unheard of. Even for someone as romantically inept as him, it wouldn't happen. He wouldn't  _let_  it happen.

This time…he wouldn't mess up.

"I'd like that, Kan. I'd like that a lot."

Something in Kanaya's features shifted, going from cool and vaguely nervous to warm and grateful. "I would too. So why don't you sit with me and tell me what's been going on? I can tell that you're worrying over something, and I'd like to ease those worries."

"You know what? I think that sounds amazin'."

 

* * *

 

One week later, Karkat stood without pain beside his friends in preparation to give that first speech to the public.

Much had changed already, in the nearly two weeks since the defeat of the Condesce. There were still skirmishes here and there, arising from the few trolls that remained of the Empire's army, but mostly there was something resembling peace. Buildings were reconstructed, homes were put up where they'd long ago crumbled, and the trolls began to look toward a future they couldn't yet grasp.

Now, it was time to introduce the new form of government and hope for the best.

"Are you ready?" Vriska was asking in the background, nudging her moirail. "You don't have to explain the whole thing yourself, you know, not if you get overwhelmed. Kick me if you want me to take over."

"It'll be fine!" Terezi grinned. "Trust me, nothing's going to go wrong with this. I've designed the system to be completely incorruptible; the public should love it! I'll give my spiel, Karkat and Sollux will spew off some bullshit about the future being brighter than we could have imagined, and that will be that. The public will be charmed."

"Let's hope things go that smoothly," Feferi worried. "Sollux, are you…?"

The former psionic waved a hand, brushing her off. "I'm fine, FF, really. Despite what you and AA seem to believe, losing my sight and my powers hasn't made me completely helpless."

"No, apparently it hasn't," Aradia sighed. "Although I'd hoped that perhaps you'd become slightly less self-destructive, you seem determined to keep all of your old fire."

That wasn't entirely true, Karkat knew. Sollux really had been mellower since the loss of his powers, having completely lost interest in Eridan (who he no longer stood a chance of competing against in a caliginous manner) and acting cuddlier even to Karkat.

"And what about you?" Feferi pressed, looking to Karkat. "Are you ready?"

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't be here."

The seadweller's fins twitched in amusement. "Fair point."

"It's a miracle all of us made it this far," Vriska snorted. "For a while there I thought we were going to lose at least one of you idiots."

"I think all of us came dangerously close to death at least once," was Aradia's answering murmur. "And even if we're not quite the people we thought we'd be in the end, we can at least be grateful that we were all allowed to keep our lives."

Karkat clenched his inorganic fingers at the thought of it. He'd lost an arm, Sollux had lost his powers, Eridan had lost his gills, Gamzee had been scarred for life…but they were alive. All twelve of them were standing there, inside that same room leading onto that same balcony they'd given speeches from a thousand times before, and they were alive. A single door separated them from the rest of the world.

"We fought hard to be here," Sollux spoke up, empty gaze flicking from person to person. "Let's not fuck it up now."

Karkat snorted. "How eloquent."

"Gets the point across either way," Gamzee rumbled, throwing an arm around Karkat's shoulders and squeezing affectionately. "We motherfucking earned this."

"We did," Sollux agreed. "After all this shit with the game and the rebellion, it's finally time to start shaping this world into the place we want it to be."

"Let's pray it goes as smoothly as you make it sound."

"It'll be fine," Vriska cut in. "There's one door separating us from the world we've been working toward this whole time. Shove it open already, won't you?"

Karkat's eyes went wide when he realized that Vriska was staring at  _him._ "What," he said, "you want  _me_  to do it? After the disaster that happened last time?"

The blueblood scoffed, "I seriously doubt there'll be some surge of power from another dimension that wipes out the rebellion."

"Fair point." Karkat squared his shoulders to the door. Stepped up until he was close enough to rest a palm against the smooth surface. "I guess I just…push this open. Is that it?"

Vriska smirked. "That's it."

Karkat reached up to place his other palm against the metal. Just beyond, the world was waiting for their saviors to appear. Just like that moment from all those sweeps ago, when he'd stood in front of the door to their new world and prepared to lead the twelve of them through it.

_It'll be easy,_ he thought.  _Push open the door. Lead everyone to a bright new future._

He must have been hesitating for just a touch too long, because the next moment he felt a familiar set of cool fingers brush across the back of his neck. "Easy there, Kar. Don't pass out on us."

"Yeah," Sollux snorted, nudging him with an elbow. "It would be a shame if you keeled over minutes before you tried to give a speech."

Gamzee leaned an arm on him. "A motherfucking shame. So keep it together, Karbro, and make the world proud."

Karkat's chest went tight. "Well, no pressure there."

"Kar, it'll be okay. Just take a deep breath, and…" Eridan's fingers covered his, seadweller cold and delicate.

"I'm here for you just the same, motherfucker." Another set of fingers pressed over his, thick and slightly warmer. "Your quadrants have you nice and safe."

Sollux pressed a palm to the back of his hand, joining Eridan and Gamzee. "Well shit, guess I'd better get in on the sentimental freakshow. Don't mind me."

It was warm and safe, just as it should have remained all those sweeps ago. But this time, Karkat was going to make sure it stayed that way. They were  _all_  going to make sure it stayed that way.

_I'm ready. Whatever comes next…I'm ready._

Karkat pressed down, all eleven of his friends behind him, all three of his filled quadrants lined up beside him, and opened the door.

 

* * *

 

Things were still a mess, he thought. But now he knew that it was all going to be okay.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that wraps it up! At the end of the road, there are definitely some big flaws with this story that I'm very well aware of (I'm looking at you, Karkat's swift and all-encompassing forgiveness of Eridan), but I'm very pleased with how everything turned out overall. Definitely one of my more intense works in terms of length and content, though the MOST intense is still hanging out over there in the Death Note fandom. Still...I'm happy.
> 
> I guess all there is to do now is prepare for the next story! I'm not sure when it will go up (I need a BREAK, guys, oh my god, I've written over four hundred pages this summer alone), but rest assured that it's already in the later stages of development! I'm planning a fantasy-esque adventure for John and Karkat, the crown prince and his demonic protector, which I'm VERY excited to share with you all! So keep an eye out for that in the next few months if you're interested. It'll be a lot more like (Not So) Grim in terms of style and pacing, featuring me (as always) not knowing when to leave Karkat the hell alone. My god. That poor character.
> 
> That's it! Thanks for the support on this story, don't hesitate to leave final thoughts, and I hope to see you again soon!


End file.
